Report on the mission to the OECS states, from 26 September to 7 October 2005

Lethal Yellowing disease is found on the island of Nevis, and maybe also on St. Lucia. It is an immediate threat to the existence of Caribbean coconut groves. There is strong parasite pressure on coconut foliage, on all the islands visited: a range of various parasites affect lower fronds. The copra sector on Dominica and St. Lucia is in decline, and it can be expected to die out in the medium term. The price paid to producers delivering their copra to processing units (Mahaut soap factory on Dominica and the Soufrière oil mill on St. Lucia) is below production costs. It is much more profitable and easier to sell drinking nuts. Proposed action: - Lethal Yellowing: set up performance trials as soon as possible to test different coconut varieties for resistance to the disease. This is an urgent project to be coordinated between the different OECS states. - Parasite pressure: examine ways of keeping the parasites present at acceptable levels by using natural enemies. - Coconut commodity chain: reconvert the copra sector, which has reached a blind alley, by turning to technologies for non-oil uses of coconut: coconut water, fibres, desiccated coconut, timber, shells, with copra and oil becoming by-products. Replanting coconut plantations with adapted planting material should be considered