Organic Pineapple Working Group

[Organic Pineapple Working Group <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>]

On 9 Mar 2007, at 4:09 AM, Organic Pineapple Working Group wrote:

> The Organic Pineapple Working Group (OPWG) is a semiautonomous
> subgroup of the Pineapple Working Group (PWG) of the Commission for
> Tropical and Subtropical Horticulture of the International Society
> for Horticultural Science.
>
> Initially, the OPWG included private, institutional and governmental
> pineapple growers, researchers and specialists in sustainable,
> equitable and integral rural development from Australia, Cuba,
> Dominica, Guyana, Hawaii, India, Ivory Cost, Mexico, Pau Pau New
> Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
>
> However, the number of members is now double the original amount and
> aside from their names, the newer members haven't identified
> themselves. Therefore, I am going to ask all OPWG subscribers to
> kindly supply either the list as a whole (preferably) or myself The
> following information:
>
> Name: David Flewell-Smith
>
> Profession: Farmer   Organic and conventional
>
> Organization: self employed
>
> Location: Australia
>
> Current and/or Planned Pineapple related Activities: and
>
> Willingness or Hesitance to Share Technical Information regarding
> any or all of the following:  At the moment, no fresh organic  
> pineapples can be imported due to the need to fumigate for weed seeds
>
>   A).- Pest and Disease Control;   Yes
>
>   B).- Maintaining Soil Fertility;   Yes
>
>   C).- Pineapple Propagation;  Yes , conventional
>
>   D).- Induction of Florescence;  yes but mum's the word on two out  
> four
>
>   E).- Variety Development;
>
>   F).- Pineapple Processing;
>
>   G).- Use of Pineapple Wastes;
>
>   H).- Promotion and Marketing of Organic Pineapple;  yes
>
>   I).- Financing Organic Pineapple Production; and  ?
>
>   J).- The possibility of participating in a Collaborative Organic
>        Pineapple Research Project.  yes  but limited though there  
> is Government funding as part of a overseas aid project.
>      I have a new harvester that is able to cut off pineapple  
> tops    cost about  $35,000 US
       kaolin clay can be sourced more cheaply than the US sourced  
Enhlehard product price in Australia $3800 local source though not as  
good is around $A 700 per tonne.
> Until now, the commercial growers among us have been reticent to
> share information with potential competitors. While this is
> understandable, it is never-the-less lamentable, since it makes for
> a pretty dull and inactive OPWG.
>
> So with the hope of identifying the areas in which a greater degree
> of interchange can occur and to determine how many of you are
> actually out there listening and willing to respond, I'm posting
> this notice to the OPWG list server. The future and importance of
> OPWG depends on your response.
>
> Douglas Hinds
> Chair, OPWG
> "Douglas Hinds / Dir. Gral." <cedecor AT gmx.net> (CeDeCoR, A.C.)
> Centro para el Desarrollo Comunitario y Rural
> (Center for Community y Rural Development)
> Mexico
>
> P.S.
>
> Is anyone using Compost Tea? If so, any comments you care to make
> (to the group as a whole or to me directly) regarding the details
> and the results would be appreciated.
>
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