Pick mangoes over grapes

He made this suggestion on Thursday at the Network of Rural Women Producers ‘Mango in Sando 2017’ forum. The meeting, geared mainly for secondary school students was poorly attended as the forum was held at a time when many students are in the middle of exams. The forum was held at the City Hall auditorium a day after US 24-hour diner franchise Denny’s announced it was closing its local outlet citing a lack of forex as one of the main reasons for doing so.

Students of San Fernando East Secondary did attend and received sound advice from Regrello and other speakers.

“When you follow the Americans and go to PriceSmart and you buy strawberries, apples and grapes, you are exhausting our foreign exchange and impacting negatively on our economy. You need to learn about and appreciate local produce,” Regrello said.

Reminiscing on his youth, Regrello said “back in the day”, mango trees were never allowed to stay laden for long. Today, the sweetest of Julie mangoes are left to fall to the ground and rotten.

Regrello urged students to spend their money on local fruits which are fresher and more nutritious than imported items and which will assist TT in saving forex.

Network president Gia Gaspard Taylor, speaking later at the forum, said there is economic value not only in mangoes but local products on a whole. Taylor said the Network submitted a proposal last year to the Agricultural Ministry seeking government’s financial and technical support for development of a local mango industry.

Dr Kumar Mahabir, assistant professor at UTT, spoke to the audience on the history of mangoes which were brought from India to the New World through trade and indentured labour.

He also lectured on the traditional medicinal use of mangoes.