Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural chains Competitiveness Productivity

Grenada root crop farmers received donation of plastic packaging crates

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Benefit distribution is part of the actions carried out by the Agriculture Policy Programme (APP)implemented by IICA, CARICOM and CARDI.

The crates are easier to clean, can be reused many times, are easy to store and, when stacked correctly, prevent the produce from becoming squashed. 

Grenada, March 9, 2017 (IICA). A total of 850 packaging crates were distributed to 30 small farmers and farmers’ organisations in Grenada to assist them with the marketing of their produce.

This was of great benefit to the farmers, as they can be used to transport produce from the field to their pack sheds and from their pack sheds to the market. The farmers can also use them to display their produce in the market, thus enhancing the presentation of their produce to the shoppers.

The crates were manufactured from high density polyethylene (HDPE) which is strong and provides protection against degradation by sunlight. They are nestable and stackable, confirm to the ASTM 4577 standard and come in a range of colours such as red, blue, green, black and yellow.

The advantage of using the crates instead of the corrugated boxes being used by farmers is that they are easier to clean, can be reused many times, are easy to store and, when stacked correctly, prevent the produce from becoming squashed. Their inherent qualities of being weather resistant and impermeable to water make them quite suitable for use on farms in both the dry and rainy seasons of the year.

This initiative is part of the actions executed under the 10th EDF Agriculture Policy Programme (APP), implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) together with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

The objective of the APP was to contribute to enhancing the capabilities of the agriculture sector in eradicating poverty. Its ultimate aim was to ensure that small producers are more effectively integrated into national, regional and international markets.

The APP was implemented in the 15 CARIFORUM countries simultaneously. Farmers in Grenada were beneficiaries of the three components of this Programme: regional policy and strategy; innovation, research and development; and enterprise development and marketing. It is under the third component that the plastic packaging crates were made available to the root crop farmers in Grenada.

 

For more information, contact:

Derek Charles, national specialist at the IICA Delegation in Grenada

derek.charles@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Ribeirao Preto, Brasil

June 27, 2025

At the IFAMA World Conference, IICA Director General underscored the need to build a new narrative for agriculture to be recognized as essential for solutions to planetary challenges

The Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, participated in Brazil in one of the largest global conferences in the agricultural sector, IFAMA, where he emphasized the need to build a new narrative highlighting the essential role of agriculture in the Americas as part of the solution to the challenges facing humanity.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Montreal, Canadá

June 26, 2025

Countries of the Americas positioned themselves as global suppliers of sustainable aviation fuels at key industry event held in Montreal

The Pan American Coalition on Liquid Biofuels (CPBIO) had a prominent role at the Aviation Climate Week of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), held in Montreal (Canada), with the participation of leading actors in the sector who discussed the latest developments in environmental matters.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Brasilia, Brazil

June 25, 2025

IICA strengthens its partnership with EMBRAPA and is set to install its Home of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas pavilion in the “AgriZone” at COP30

During the meeting, the senior EMBRAPA and IICA officials also exchanged ideas on how to deepen reciprocal collaboration at the international level, with a focus on cooperation with countries in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins