By Richard Simon, St. George’s, Grenada – A regional coconut training workshop and exhibition opened in St. Georges, Grenada this morning as the Caribbean explores avenues for the greater exploitation of natural resources, improve trade and strengthen the region’s manufacturing base.

According to local planners 14 countries from the Caribbean Community, including the host Grenada will exhibit various products made from the coconut palm, including oils, confectionary, planting material and other related products.

“As a region, we must begin to identify ways of working together to find new opportunities from the resources that are natural to us. Coconut has been in the region and in Grenada for a long time and we must now see the economic possibilities that this resource provides,” said Aaron Francois, Permanent Secretary in Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture.  

The project is receiving the support of the Government of Mexico, represented by Ambassador to St. Lucia and the Caribbean, Luis Manuel Lopez Moreno, The European Union, the International Trade Center and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).