MANGOES!
Over the years mango groves have spread to many parts of the tropical and sub-tropical world, where the climate allows the mango to grow best. Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall. The mango tree will fruit 4 to 6 years after planting.
The Mango is a favorite fruit in Trinidad and Tobago. Many, many years ago, it was brought from India, and now grows commonly all over countryside and in the backyards of town and city houses.
There are many varieties. For example, Long mango, Rose, Hog, Calabash, Manzanilla Douxdoux, La Brea Gyul, Turpentine, Mangotine, Juile, Graham and a few others.
Some health benefits include:
-Mangos are an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of Potassium and contain beta carotene.
-Mangos are high in fiber, but low in calories (approx. 110 per average sized mango), fat (only 1 gram) and sodium.
-Mangos are a good staple for your daily diet.
The Network of Rural Women Producers (NRWP)
Network of Rural Women Producers (NRWP), a national chapter of the Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers (CANROP) accepted the challenge of the FAO-Carib-Agri email community to host the first ever Trinidad and Tobago Mango Festival. The event will be held on 15 August 2009, under the theme: “…every kind and taste find an equal place…”. (suggested theme).
The Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers was launched in July 1999. With support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), rural women of Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago held the first meeting of CANROP in Trinidad, in association with the First Meeting of Wives and Heads of State of the Caribbean. The main goals of the Network are to provide rural women with access to credit for micro-business projects, to contribute to government policies that are sensitive to and supportive of the special needs of rural women producers, to contribute to the elimination of the 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 Organization moderates FAO-Carib-Agri a community of 3,000 email subscribers from 30 countries who share a common interest in Caribbean food security. The Hot Topic for June/July was the mango and mango festivals, touching on issues of nutrition, climate change, memories of childhood, and sharing of festival photos of Antigua, Belize, Cuba, Jamaica, India and St. Croix.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO MANGO FESTIVAL
T+T’s first ever mango festival will be held on the grounds
at
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation for Agriculture (IICA), #20 Austin Street, St. Augustine
on
Saturday 15th August, 2009
from
9a.m. – 6p.m.
