Return of the Banana

So my blog posts have mainly been limited to extra curricular activities and holidays for a while now. In part because these are more fun and provide better pictures, and in part because the banana industry is still recovering.

In fact, since Hurricane Tomas, October 30, 2010, bananas have not been exported from St. Lucia. This has meant no real income for banana farmers and those who depend on the industry for their work (packing, shipping, laborers etc.) and the rise of banana theft, or pradial larceny and development of a black market for local bananas.
Actually, the local banana shortage has emphasized the importance of green bananas to the local diet and underscored the role of green bananas or "green fig" as people call them here, in the food security of the country. Farmers are regularly having 60% or more of their bananas stolen during the night. The problem is two-fold: Firstly, it has increased with the passing of Tomas and the economic troubles that linger from the hurricane. Secondly this crisis has actually exposed an ongoing relationship where the very poor (and the strung out druggies or Jombis as the farmers call them) take green bananas for eating and to sell on the black market. Before Tomas, it didn't matter very much, because farmers were growing more bananas than they could sell, but since Tomas, the thefts have drastically increased, while farmers have very few banana trees mature enough to produce a bunch, so the thefts have a lot more impact these days.

The good news is that this situation will soon change for many farmers. Although some farmers won't be able to harvest until Sept or even Oct this year, the first harvest day for export is in two weeks, and everyone is getting excited about it! Many farmers are also replanting the acres that were so damaged from Tomas that the roots from their bananas were actually killed. One of the things I've been doing lately for participant observation is replanting and deflowering {insert joke here} with the farmers. I took some photos one day to document what goes into replanting. One day soon I'll do a post devoted to the 9mth lifespan of the banana, but for now replanting!

Tools need for replanting- fork for digging holes, small shovel for filling them in, cutlass (aka machete) for just about everything. A cutlass is seriously the most versatile tool ever.

A row of newly planted plants- in a few weeks they will send up new shoots and leaves!

Young shoots that have been dug up elsewhere with their roots intact.

First- place new plant in a hole

Second- fill the hole in with surrounding dirt

Third- firmly step around the base of planted banana (that is my foot!) and then repeat Step Two.

Fourth- using both feet step/dance around the banana in a circle to ensure that the ground is firmly packed around it.

Fifth- care for plants and wait appx 9 months and you will have full grown plants with fruit (inside the blue bags)

Young bananas with the flowers still on the butts of each fruit (or "finger")... we are about to pull each of these flowers off for the deflowering process. It leaves your fingers very sticky from the banana latex!