Mango Festival in St Augustine

Both the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) endorse the festival and are collaborating.

The Network of Rural Women Producers is the national chapter of the Caribbean Network of Rural Women. CANROP accepted the challenge of FAO Barbados to host the Mango Festival.

CANROP was launched in July 1999 with the support of Inter American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA). rural women of Guyana, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago held their first meeting in association with The First meeting of Wives and Heads Of State hosted by the wife of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

The goals of the Network are to provide rural women with access to credit for micro-business projects, contribute to government policies that are sensitive to and supportive of the special needs of rural women producers, contribute to the elimination of gender bias in the ownership of land, ensuring that women have the same opportunities as men to own property.

the Network also seeks to provide marketing support for rural women producers and to offer training, research, technical support and outreach services.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) moderates the Carib-Agri Community of 3,000 e-mail subscribers from 30 countries who share common interests in the Caribbean food security.

The hot topic for June/July was on the theme of mango and mango festivals, touching on the issues of nutrition, climate change, memories of childhood, and sharing festival photos of Antigua, Cuba, Jamaica, India and Belize.

The Mango Festival is a day of education, community, and good tastes celebrate the short season of mango abundance.

The event includes activities for all age groups, story telling, smell and name the mango, best mango chow, best mango display, best mango product and mango eating competition.

also on display are tasty products made from mangoes, sweet jellies, pastries, drinks, ice cream, to spicy chows, pickles, marinades, and exotic beauty products and culinary innovations.

Persons are invited to register for the competition, vending and other exhibits, registration forms are available at the FAO Office 134 -138 Frederick Street, Port- of-Spain and the IICA office, 10 Austin Street, St Augustine; Network of NGO’s Professional Centre, Fitz Blackman Drive, Woodbrook, Wrightson Road Extension; Agricultural Offices North, Central, South, and via e-mail or fax.

The public can participate by competing in the mango eating competition, best mango chow, by telling mango stories in the Kid’s Corner, buying mangoes and mango products, by volunteering with event operations, support by judging an event, help exhibitors and of course there is always cleaning up to be done.