Saint Lucia: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Securities for the island nation in the Caribbean is taking steps to provide the farmers of the country with better facilities, especially after Hurricane Beryl. The officials recently took some action toward the aim, and additional support was started being given to the farmers. The farmers of Region 3 were provided with these benefits in the early stage, which is focused next on the other regions.
The action being taken by the authorities to help farmers is under the Second Crop project, of which the first phase is already been executed. The project is intended to improve the agricultural landscape of Saint Lucia while supporting it to become better. The project is the result of the healthy relationships between Saint Lucia and Taiwan. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Securities for Saint Lucia came together with the Taiwan Technical Mission to organise the subsidised input sales under the project.
The mission is to help the farmers get better agricultural items at affordable prices, which could lead to better facilities and more quality production. The first sales were opened in Region 3 this week, during the subsidised input sales event, where essential resources were available to the local farmers at reduced costs. The sales included essential resources like crates, air blowers, fertilisers, and other items that are useful in agriculture.
Daniel Lee, the Chief of the Taiwan Technical Mission, shared his words on the project after recent meetups. The chief marked that initiative as an essential step taken toward the betterment of the agricultural sector. He stated how this could take farming to a good level, specifically after the damages suffered by the citizens and sector due to Hurricane Beryl.
While talking about the project, Chief Daniel Lee also disclosed in his words that the authorities are planning to organise about four subsidised sales in a year as the following part of the second phase of the Second Crop project. As per his statement, the authorities are preparing for the next sale after the completion of the first sale, which will now be in Dennery.
Alfred Prospere, the current Minister of Agriculture for Saint Lucia, also shared his views on the field of farming, which is under his responsibility. It was disclosed that the minister kept his eyes on the losses that farmers faced during these times, especially in the sectors of plantain and banana. The minister stated that this initiative can lead to the revival of the agriculture sector by supporting farmers with combined use of technology.
The minister also added in his words that the farmers are going to receive the required support to increase crop productivity. While talking about the subsidised input sales event, Alfred Prospere said that the farmers are getting agricultural items at affordable prices. For example, twenty-five kilograms of fertiliser is around seventy-five to eighty dollars in the market, which farmers get at the rate of just fifty dollars.
The Ministry of Agriculture for Saint Lucia and the Taiwan Technical Mission are moving ahead jointly with the initiative. The officials expressed that both sides will keep on working delicately in the sector to support farmers in order to improve the agricultural sector. The officials are also working to strengthen the collaboration between both nations.
