Fifty Saint Lucians graduated on May 24 from the first training programme under the second term of the “Enhancement of the Efficiency of Production-Distribution Chain of Fruit and Vegetable Sector in Saint Lucia” project.
During the graduation ceremony held at Union, H.E. Peter Chia-yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, commended the graduates for successfully completing their training.
“According to statistics, Saint Lucia spends millions of dollars importing fruits and vegetables,” Ambassador Chen stated. “We can make a difference if more people can purchase more locally instead of buying from overseas, especially from your farms.”
He added that, “The Governments of Taiwan and Saint Lucia recognized that and have come together to work together to promote local produce, diversify, and increase the domestic production, which comprise the goals of our project as part of the effort to promote food security.”
Ambassador Chen thanked Hon. Alfred Prospere, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, for his continued support. He also thanked the team from the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM), Ministry of Agriculture, and local farmers.
Ambassador Chen noted that they have all weathered the unprecedented heat during COVID-19 pandemic to pursue better and more resilient food systems. He also encouraged other Saint Lucian farmers join future workshops and become empowered by the programme.
Hon. Prospere thanked the Government of Taiwan for their continued generosity to Saint Lucia, while expressing his excitement about the graduation exercise.
“I am excited because I am seeing the future for the agricultural sector,” he said. “I am seeing a future that will help us address our food security problems…Food security is very serious business. We cannot afford to take this subject lightly.”
During the graduation ceremony, some of the graduates shared their personal experiences while undergoing the training, noting that they are now better farmers. They all thanked the Governments of Taiwan and Saint Lucia for the opportunity to learn more about the agricultural sector.