As agricultural officials embark on a mission to revitalize the authentic Antigua Black pineapple, one farmer’s nearly 40-year journey cultivating the very same crop could offer some insight into how to ensure that the country’s national fruit remains a staple for decades to come.
Grant Joyce, who operated one of the largest pineapple farms on the island with approximately 20 acres dedicated to pineapple cultivation, arrived in Antigua on September 6, 1980, through a Canadian overseas service program.
“When I first got here, there wasn’t anything,” Joyce told Observer media, describing his initial encounter with the property.
Although he did not originally own the property on which he now grows much of his crops, over time the land came into his possession.
“There was no fencing around, no trees, no buildings, no irrigation, and that’s it—mostly weeds, grass, and when they did plant, it was just a kind of rough bed,” he said.
Joyce, who held a degree from the Ontario Agricultural College, converted his initial love for dairy farmhand work and working in the climates of Canada into a love for the tropics and quickly identified the need for irrigation systems to boost production on his farm.
He said that this was particularly after witnessing newly planted pineapples struggle to establish roots during dry periods.
The Canadian-born farmer sought assistance from Israeli agricultural specialists who had an agreement with the Antiguan government to freely share information on drip irrigation, which was an emerging technology in the early 1980s.
“I went over there, and they said, ‘You know what we can do if you want, we can take a topographical map of the valley here, send it to Israel, and they’ll draw up how the pipework should be installed,’” Joyce explained.
Like much of the country’s agricultural lands, Joyce’s farm held deep historical significance as his property was first settled and cultivated by the British in the late 1600s.
“There’s a lot of history here,” he said. “Besides the Great House, they eventually grew arrowroot over here as well. I’m told that they used to grow sugar cane right to the top of the hills here.”
Originally planning to stay in Antigua for just a few years before returning to Canada, Joyce’s life took an unexpected turn when he met and married his wife in December 1985. The couple recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.
Beyond pineapples, Joyce’s farm produced mangoes, sorrel, cassava, and various other crops.
In recent years, the government alongside international bodies were seeking to find the true Antigua Black Pineapple, through genetic analysis, and plant tissue culture.
For Joyce, distinguishing varieties required more than scientific analysis, it demanded careful observation and record-keeping.
His farming philosophy emphasized attention to detail and continuous learning, particularly when adapting cultivation methods to local conditions.
“At first I was listening too much to how they’re growing pineapple in Malaysia, places with this big old Del Monte pineapple. It’s quite a different plant really,” Joyce noted. “If I grow them the way they grow their pineapples, I’ll kill them.”
Joyce’s approach to identifying superior pineapple varieties involved meticulous documentation.
“You should have certain criteria and take a picture of the pineapple and then take notes on its taste, its texture, the brix (a measurement of sugar content in fruits) and really keep a file on that and then keep those lines going,” he advised. “It’s a whole programme in itself, but it can really improve the population.”
His approach also took into account potential for natural plant mutation, which he said ensuring that the ideal pineapple shoots were kept for long term sustainability.
Joyce credited his longevity in pineapple farming to maintaining consistent interest throughout the four-year cultivation cycle.
“You can’t just get excited about it one month and then slack off the next,” he emphasized. “You have got to be consistent. So, you got to be coming out all the time and take interest.”
