Hand Pollination Benefits

In Search of Hope – by Sam Gannon

Seconded to the parish of Tililngdon, the Reverend Dolores has been presented with a challenge.

She’s living in an antiquated house and she’s cold. Furthermore, her new Bishop, Bishop Alice does not approve of ‘showgirls in dog collars.’

Determined to prove the Bishop wrong, she sets about warming her house – who cares if it smells of horse! There is the crochet club, jumble sale, and soup run to organise. And this year, the church bells will ring, no matter what threats are made. Even more so, the newly formed choir will spread a little joy this Christmas, even though they can’t sing – yet! And with a little help from Phil, her bassist, this year could be full of magic.

However, she has a fight on her hands as the townies out in Knob Hill – she must stop calling it that, are trying to stop her from ringing her bells. When Krystal with a K decides to do some volunteer work, Dolores sets out to see just how committed she really is.

Up to her ears in granny squares and squawking choristers, Dolores is revving up for Christmas, yet a deeper darker secret is beginning to emerge!

A secret that could blow the whole parish apart and put Dolores in danger.

(available from Amazon)

This year, GESBA has been providing a manual pollination service for cherimoya (Custard Apple/Anona), in conjunction with technicians from the Regional Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Development. This service has a unit cost of 3 euros per tree, to which VAT is added. According to the Regional Government, the measure has been fundamental in “significantly increasing productivity, improving fruit quality and ensuring fairer yields for producers, by obtaining larger, more uniform cherimoya with a higher commercial value.”

In a press statement, the government reports that the effects of climate change, namely the increase in temperature and the reduction in relative humidity during the flowering and setting phases, caused a sharp decrease in custard apple production, and for this reason, it was decided to introduce this service.

“GESBA is today much more than a banana management company. It is a public entity dedicated to the management and enhancement of strategic agricultural sectors. It has been extending its scope of intervention to new crops, actively contributing to the modernisation and sustainability of the Madeiran agricultural sector,” assures Nuno Maciel.

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries says it is important to highlight that “recently, the Santana Fruit and Vegetable Centre, under the company’s management, was certified to operate in the preparation, distribution and marketing of organic fruit product, complying with all the legal and sanitary requirements required to supply to supermarkets, ensuring stable and valued outlets for regional producers.”

On average, GESBA dispatches 25 containers per week to the continental market. “This volume already represents a significant contribution to the enhancement of Madeiran production and the strengthening of the presence of regional agriculture in foreign markets.

GESBA’s commercial operation already includes bananas, avocado pears, custard apples, and mangoes, with the ambition of consolidating the reputation of the Madeira brand as a source of excellence and sustainability.

Samantha Gannon

info at madeira-weekly.com

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