business

Grass growers eye golf greens

Lands used to grow traditional crops are now grass farms for home lawns and golf courses.

Jardines Urbanos has an exclusive license to grow a salt tolerant grass for golf courses near the sea.

The boom in the construction of new residences and golf courses has created a demand for many products. One of those is grass.

In order to meet the new demand, land once used to grow traditional crops is now being turned over for other uses. That's certainly the case in La Chorrera, where independent growers are now producing something called "grama chorrerana," or Chorrera grass.

New businesses in Chiriquí and Coclé also want a piece of the action.

Jardines Urbanos, in the Río Grande are of Coclé, has 45 hectares of grass under cultivation. The business has been in operation for seven years, with an annual growth of 25 percent. "Residential projects represent the greater part of our business. However, we also have clients with commercial projects, such as golf clubs and sports fields," said Xavier Mora, the company's manager.

Various types of grass are grown in Panama, including St. Augustine, Japanese Zoysia, Centipede, Paspalum and Bermuda. Their cost fluctuates between $2.40 and $4.00 a square meter.

Growing grass for golf courses is a recent development in Panama. Most courses here have Bermuda grass. But according to Mora, Jardines Urbanes has an exclusive license to cultivate and sell certified Seadwarf Seashore Paspalum grass in Panama, which requires up to 50 percent less water than Bermuda grass and is salt tolerant.