Entrepreneur Sahadeo Ramsaroop Dass is on a mission to satisfy local demand for apples, grapes, nectarines and other foreign fruits without using up scarce foreign exchange,
Nine years ago, he began experimenting with growing apples in T&T simply as a hobby. He now has a flourishing business with temperate climate crops that have adapted to this country’s sweltering tropical conditions.
At the very end of Church Street in La Romaine, Dass operates a mini orchard with green, red and black grapes, including seedless varieties, Mediterranean figs, four types of apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, California cherries, plums, pomegranates, dates and rambutans.
Mainly self taught, Dass believes these fruit trees flourish in T&T because he sources seeds from locations with climates similar to this country.
“When I first began I did my own research and gathered as much information as possible from my relatives abroad,” he explained.
“If plants or seeds are sourced from colder parts like Canada there will be difficulty in growing them but if they come from a warmer climate, like Texas, Florida, California and New Orleans, the seeds will germinate in Trinidad.”
Initially, Dass bought apples from supermarket shelves and planted the seeds. Those that did sprout grew to a certain height then withered and died.
Convinced that he needed to get a first-hand perspective of techniques used in growing the fruit, Dass visited a farm in California and found out that the best way to start growing apples is first to graft the plant. When he returned to T&T he put that method into practice.
“I did a cutting from an apple tree and stuck it in a potato and from there it grew because the potato fed the apple cutting which enabled it to grow healthy.
“The cutting was then transplanted in a soil mixture and from there it flourished into a tree and bore fruit a lot faster than the plants which sprouted from seeds,” he said.
An apple tree takes approximately seven to eight years to mature and produce fruit if planted from seeds. Trees from cuttings mature within four years and produce a higher yield of a better quality.
Pointing to rows of apple trees, Dass said: “These are about six or seven feet tall and they are about a year and a half.
“What is also recommended that the top be cut off and the tree pruned regularly so by the time it’s around three and a half years it will start flowering and bearing soon after.”
For the apricots and nectarines, Dass travels to the United States to purchase seeds from specific farms, or relatives ship them to him. However, with these fruits it’s not as simple as sticking seeds into soil.
Dass explained: “Nectarines, apricots and plums have hard outer coverings. I make an incision on each one before planting. The growing process is made much easier and the tree will grow properly. What I have observed is if that outer cut is not made the seed rots.”
The 74-year-old, who once operated a small store selling an array of merchandise, said customers come from far and wide, including Tobago, to purchase plants and seedlings.
He attributes the increased sales to growing demand for “something different” and a greater appreciation for agriculture.
“Plants and trees are a fast growing industry in this country. There are those who still buy plants for ornamental purposes but more people are investing in fruit trees and not the ordinary kinds,” he said.
“The rarer it is, the more sought after. As soon as the apples trees start to flower they are sold very quickly.”
His latest addition is kiwi which he sows up to 50 in a tray.
“Instead of buying one or two plants, many people instead by an entire tray because of the cheaper wholesale price. A fully grown kiwi plant is about $100 but the smaller ones range from $20 to $25,” he said.
Dass sells grape at $100 for a large plant. These are then resold for as much as $195.
To be successful in this business, time is of the essence, he said.
“Water the plants properly and prune them carefully. It’s also important to look for any fungus under the leaves. This can be easily remedied by an effective insecticide. It’s not a high maintenance business but it’s very time consuming. If you don’t have the time don’t go into the business,” he advised.
Another secret for healthy crops is the soil, which ought to be a mixture of sand and ordinary pro mix.
“Many people also like to use rotted wood and coconut husk when planting but not for these type of plants because this will attract insects such as bachac which will eat away at the plants,” he said.
Dass said one of his dreams is for his business be established in Tobago, especially as that island is more tourist oriented. He said it will be an attraction for foreigners who will be amazed to discover temperate fruits growing in the tropics.
And if this comes to fruition it will means new opportunities for T&T’s agri sector.
