Brazilian agronomist Dr Abel Reboucas to conduct soursop training workshop from February 27 to March 3

Published by BBNTEAM at February 9, 2023

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Posted: Thursday, February 9, 2023. 2:04 pm CST.

Photo Credit: MAFSE

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Brazilian agronomist Dr Abel Reboucas will be conducting a soursop training workshop during the week February 27 to March 3, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE).

This will be Reboucas’ second visit to Belize. The Brazilian soursop specialist was here in October 2022 just before Hurricane Lisa forced the postponement of his last workshop scheduled for the South. Reboucas holds a doctorate degree on Tropical Fruits from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. His visit is facilitated through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

MAFSE said the venue and times will be announced later.

During his first visit, Dr Reboucas training workshops concentrated on pruning, hand pollination, nutrition, pests and diseases, weed control, and fruit bagging.

At the time, Senior Cooperative Officer and Focal Point for the FAO-led soursop project, Michel Lewis, explained that to protect the soursop from disease, the fruit must be bagged to keep it protected as it grows.

“Soursop is a fruit that if you don’t bag it in its development when the skin is soft, a seed borer insect goes into the fruit and lays eggs inside the fruit. After a while when the fruit gets bigger, the skin gets harder, the insect is not able to penetrate,” Lewis said.

In October, Reboucas’ first training session was for MAFSE personnel . That was followed by workshops in Central Farm, Yo Creek, and at Ayinha Farm in Lemonal in the Belize District. As mentioned before, the workshop at the Stann Creek Agriculture Station at Nine Miles on the Stann Creek Valley Road for Stann Creek and Toledo farmers was not carried out.

Dr Rehoucas training sessions first look at theory but focus more on hands-on practical training.

Dr Reboucas was expected to develop a booklet specifically for growing soursop in Belize.

Dr Reboucas’ second visit is in fulfillment of the Ministry of Agriculture’s outreach to support the soursop industry in Belize. According to MAFSE’s National Coordinator for Non-Traditional Fruit Trees Barry Palacio, Belize has approximately 400 acres of soursop. He said the industry is growing as farmers are planting more and more soursop.

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