Construction to begin this year on seafood processing facility

A Jamaican-based company will, in 2019, commence the construction of a seafood processing facility at Calliaqua that will create jobs for people here.

Camillo Gonsalves, the finance minister while making his Budget presentation on Monday, said that Rainforest Seafoods will invest US$3.5 million in the facility.

This facility is expected to generate 40 permanent jobs for people in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

“More importantly, Rainforest Seafoods has committed to purchasing $20 million in lobster, fish and conch annually from Vincentian fisherfolk. For a sector that landed less than $15 million worth of fish in 2018, this is a game-changing market expansion, with obvious positive implications on lives and livelihoods,” Gonsalves said.

The construction is expected to span an 18-month period.

And in this time, the finance minister said that the government will be focusing on ways to improve the capacity of fisherfolk to meet the new demand, in order to take full advantage of the opportunity.

EC$800,000 has been allocated in this year’s budget to the Farmers’ Support Revolving Fund, which facilitates on-lending to farmers.

Special provisions will be made in 2019 for assistance to be offered to fisherfolk from this Fund.