Farmers in Chassin, Babonneau, now have better access to reliable water supply to irrigate their crops, thanks to an intervention by the Seven Crops Project.
Recently, the community’s irrigation system underwent a successful rehabilitation that addressed the challenges farmers faced, particularly clogging of the dam in Babonneau. The rehabilitation exercise included mobilizing heavy equipment to remove the large volume of accumulated silt clogging the dam and installing a water filtration system to improve water quality, and further enhancing the long-term sustainability of the irrigation network. Other interventions, such as sprinkler systems, pipes and necessary fittings, have also been installed to reconnect the irrigation system.
On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, a short ceremony was held at the Taiwan Technical Mission’s office at Union, where H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, reaffirmed Taiwan’s continued commitment to its partnership with the Government and the people of Saint Lucia. She also explained how important the project is for the Chassin farmers.
“We understand how important it is to have reliable water access for our daily lives, and how essential a functioning irrigation system is for farming communities,” she said. “I’m happy to learn that, through this rehabilitation work, about 50 farmers from about 100 acres of farmland are now able to utilize the supply of approximately 30,000 gallons of water through the system. This means that we are now able to enjoy more produce of tomatoes, cabbages, cucumbers, eggplants, watermelons, pumpkins, and okra from the ‘Bread Basket’ of Saint Lucia.”
Ambassador Su expressed appreciation to Hon. Lisa Jawahir and the team at the Ministry of Agriculture, for their continued partnership with Taiwan in advancing the agricultural development in Saint Lucia. She also thanked Hon. John Paul Estephane, for his trust in the Taiwan Technical Mission to collaborate with his constituency on various projects. The farmers from Chassin were praised for their dedication and commitment throughout the project, and for coming together to remove the excavated silt and help install and reconnect the irrigation system.
“I’m deeply impressed by your joint effort of koudmen spirit perfectly demonstrated during the process,” Ambassador Su said. “Facing the volatile global challenges, we agree with you that the most important way to promote sustainable agriculture and to enhance food security is your policy of ‘planté sa nou manjé, ek manjé sa nou planté’. Projects like this are part of the response of that policy.”
Hon. Lisa Jawahir, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Sustainable Development, noted that the newly-rehabilitated irrigation system signals a restoration of hope, resilience and opportunity for farmers and communities, and emphasized that water security is directly linked to food security.
“Without water, there can be no crops,” she stated. “Without water, there can be no livestock. Without water, there is no agriculture. Every head of lettuce, bananas, sweet potatoes, and acre of vegetables depend on a reliable water supply.”
Hon. Jawahir noted that small island developing states like Saint Lucia are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including longer dry spells, unpredictable rainfall patterns and periods of drought. These factors, she said, place enormous pressure on farmers and already strained water lines.
“When water becomes scarce, crops decline,” she said. “Production costs will increase because we now have to buy more irrigation lines, water tanks, and rain water harvesting systems. Incomes for farmers will, of course, be reduced, and ultimately, our national food security will be threatened. That is why this project is so timely and important. For years, the farmers of Chassin have faced tremendous challenges with this dam capacity of over 30,000 gallons of water. We recognize the urgency of the need to rehabilitate the infrastructure. That is where a project like the Seven Crops Project was able to intervene.”
Hon. Jawahir explained that following the recent rehabilitation of the flush out vent, the provision of a new filtration system to address ongoing siltation, the payment for excavator service, supply of ten lengths of three-inch pipe and fittings, and distribution of 150 sprinkler heads, the irrigation network now has new life. She added that the value of the intervention extends beyond the dollars and cents invested and demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration. She said the Government of Saint Lucia will continue to collaborate with partners, including the Government of Taiwan, to invest in the infrastructure and technologies that will allow farmers to not only survive, but also thrive.
Ms. Adline Eudovic, Project Coordinator for the Seven Crops Project, explained that water remains a critical resource in agriculture, adding that reliable irrigation improves not just food security, but also the productivity and livelihoods of farmers.
“We cannot separate water security from food security,” she said. “This intervention builds on a long line of interventions by the Seven Crops Project. Irrigation is a component that we included under the second phase of the project and, in 2024, we conducted a similar project in Micoud, where we assisted farmers with a communal irrigation system, while last year, we were in Choiseul, where we assisted farmers with an irrigation project.”
Mr. Nicholas Doxily, Agricultural Officer for Regions One and Two, also commended the project. He said the water system in Chassin was established sixteen years ago for residents of the community, and farmers were connected to the system and used the water for irrigation purposes. Over time, the system became heavily silted and delivery lines became clogged, resulting in water shortages, crop losses, and a reduction in yield.
Ms. Theona Albert, a representative of the Chassin Farmers Group, recalled that when the project started in 2010, it basically targeted a few households. Over time, many farmers have benefited from the project.