Gala awards to close 2012 Nutmeg Festival

Students from St. Michael’s Roman Catholic School planting a
nutmeg tree, while Education Minister, Franka Bernardine, looks on.

By Linda Straker

A gala dinner and awards ceremony to honour the contributions made by some of Grenada’s leading Nutmeg farmers are among events for the first Nutmeg Festival, which opened last Friday with the symbolic planting of a nutmeg tree on the same estate where the first tree was planted more than a century ago.

Organised by the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (GCNA) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the gala event will be held at Belmont Estate – Grenada main agro-tourism venture.

Leading Grenadian personalities will present prizes to the winners of the GCNA/MOA Nutmeg Farmers’ competition and discuss just how Nutmeg affected their lives and careers. The occasion will also provide the opportunity to officially close the 2012 festival and invite people to participate in the second Nutmeg and Spice Festival in 2013.

Education Minister, Franka Bernardine, planting a nutmeg
tree with students of St. Michael’s RC School.

Last week Friday, the Belvedere rain forest provided an attractive backdrop for the formal launch of the Grenada Nutmeg and Spice Festival. Once home to thriving nutmeg plantations, the Belvedere area awakened fond memories of the heyday of the industry in many of the ceremony’s guests and served as a reminder why a festival in recognition of nutmeg and spices was important.

Chairman of the activity and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Aaron Francois, said nutmeg and spices are special to us because it is our tradition, our culture and our life.

He said the Nutmeg and Spices Festival is seeking to bring home in a forceful way the importance of the industry to the economic life of Grenada and its people, to remind us that we are still the Spice Island and to let the world know that we are still in the business of spices.

Acting Minister for Agriculture, Patrick Simmons, in his remarks, praised the nation’s farmers for leading the recovery of an industry devastated by Hurricanes Ivan and Emily, even when administrators were doubtful.

The heroes of the land, our farmers understood the importance of nutmegs to their incomes and the national economy immediately took to the fields just as was done after Hurricane Janet in 1955.

Governor General, Sir Carlyle Glean, declared the festival opened and advised persons that in the development of the nutmeg and spice industry in Grenada, we need quality research and quality specialists. He said dreaming is one thing and realising your dream is another.

The opening concluded with the symbolic planting of spice trees by the Governor General; Minister Simmons; Minister for Housing, Lands and Community Development, Alleyne Walker; and Member of Parliament for St. John’s, Michael Church.

During the week, there are a number of events including the planting of Nutmeg trees at schools’ compounds and yards; and a Nutmeg & Spice Clinic at the GCNA Shopping Complex Conference room, where a  panel of leading Nutmeg and Spice experts will answer questions from the public about the Nutmeg, other spices and the state of the Grenada spice industry.