SVG signs MOU with St. Lucia for livestock and sea moss support

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and St. Lucia with the goal of providing a framework for reciprocal assistance.

Under the MOU the Government and people of SVG will offer assistance to St. Lucia in the livestock sector, while this country will receive assistance from St. Lucia in sea moss production.

The signing ceremony was done at the conclusion of the 22nd Eastern Caribbean Ministerial Meeting on Fisheries and Sustainable use of Living Marine Resources at the Beachcombers Hotel Conference Room in Villa, on July 14.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, Saboto Caesar said that the MOU signals bilateral cooperation which seeks to identify specific areas of partnership in an effort to have a more detailed approach going forward. Minister Caesar said: “throughout our history we have had a consolidated marketing platform and we have merged several production platforms”.

Additionally, St. Vincent and the Grenadines having been identified as an excellent producer of root crops in the Southern Caribbean, will be providing germ plasm material to the government and people of St. Lucia. Elated and hopeful with the signing of the MOU, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development for St. Lucia, Alfred Prospere commented on their rapidly growing banana and sea moss sectors. Prospere revealed that over 400 persons are engaged in sea moss production, and more than 65 are exporters of sea moss . The St. Lucia Agriculture Minister noted that St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ strength is within the Medicinal Cannabis Industry and revealed that St. Lucia is now moving forward within this avenue of herbal care. Prospere added that St. Lucia is relying on SVG in this collaborative effort to assist in developing this area through the provision of expertise.

“Now is the time for small OECS countries to come together under one umbrella and to be able to achieve our set goals and target in Agriculture,” Prospere said.

Meanwhile, minister Caesar also announced the introduction of the OECS Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) strategy to be implemented within the OECS. The announcement was also made at the Ministerial Meeting.

This platform will facilitate the dissemination of information to the Centre in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with the mission of ensuring food security and food sovereignty in the sub-region.

Minister Caesar revealed his vision of having a home-grown company within the OECS with recognised expertise and the mobilisation of the factors of production, while embracing the hard work and efforts of the youth, who present new trends within the technological and marketing sphere. The agriculture minister indicated that this system is a consolidated approach among

Member States in maximising economies of scale.