Farmers and Extension Officers Benefit from Seedless Watermelon Training Workshop
(RODNEY BAY, GROS ISLET, SAINT LUCIA – Monday, March 3, 2025) –Twenty-seven farmers and extension officers across the island participated in an informative seedless watermelon training workshop on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The workshop was held in the conference room at the Union Orchid Gardens.
The training was a collaboration between the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development under the “Enhancement of the Efficiency in the Production-Distribution Supply Chain of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector”, commonly known as the “Seven Crops Project”.
This was the first of four training sessions that will be hosted to educate the participants on how to successfully cultivate seedless watermelons. The four areas of training are:
- Hydro-priming/seed preparation
- Pruning
- Pollination
- Harvest
The farmers were educated on the general production of watermelon in Saint Lucia, the best husbandry practices to apply during the life cycle, with emphasis on the technicality of hydro-priming. This is a very significant component in the successful production of seedless watermelons. The practical aspect of the session allowed the farmers to participate in preparing the seeds for sowing.
The training was facilitated by Mr. Edward Wilson, Production Officer, and Mr. Johnson Yang, Senior Specialist in the Production Unit under the Seven Crops Project.
