Julius Polius re-elected as WINFA’s President

Julius Polius, Chairman of the St. Lucia National Fairtrade Organization (SLNFTO), has been re-elected unopposed as President of the Windward Islands Farmers Association (WINFA).{{more}} His re-election took place during the closing stages of WINFA’s 7th Biennial Assembly on Thursday, May 26, in Kingstown.

Polius, who will be serving for a second consecutive two-year term, is an active farmer producing root crops and bananas. He is a soil scientist by training, having done his tertiary studies at UWI, St. Augustine, and also at McGill University, Canada. He served in the civil service in St. Lucia for a number of years, rising to the senior executive rank and is now retired. He, however, continues to be actively involved on his farm, and in the leadership of the farmers’ and credit union movement in St. Lucia and the wider Caribbean. Polius has re-iterated his commitment to enhance the sustainability of food production systems in the region and towards ensuring that WINFA and the farmers of the Windward Island play a leading role in this.

Also re-elected was Philemon Allen, who will continue to serve as Polius’ deputy. Allen is Chairman of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Fairtrade Organization (SVGNFTO), an active farmer and extension officer by profession. The rest of the Board is comprised by the lone female on the Board of Directors, Nioka Abbott-Balcombe, veterans of the SVGNFTO and Vice-Chair of the Board of its trading arm, WINFARM; veterans Joseph Hypolite of St. Lucia, Amos Wiltshire of Dominica and Elliot Bishop of Grenada, all of whom have been with WINFA since the 1980’s; President of the Dominica National Fairtrade Organization, Charles Watty, and a vibrant young farmer from Grenada, Earl Roberts, representing the younger generation of farmers.

The Biennial Assembly was held on the second day of the two-day activity held by WINFA in Kingstown. It received, discussed and approved the various Reports and Strategic Plan for the next two-year period.