Farmers are being urged by Agriculture officials to improve the quality of their crops – this announcement came from Agriculture Minister Alfred Prospere ahead of Monday’s cabinet meeting. According to Minister Prospere, crop exporters should increase the frequency and scale of their inspection regimes to ensure only the best produce is shipped overseas.
“That’s something that has been preached many years, decades ago. That you do not put poor quality fruits in the boxes. But the point is, the exporters, those people who are buying from the farmers, what we’ve been saying to them is, increase your inspection rate,” Prospere said.
Saint Lucia continues its export of bananas as well as new markets for its locally grown dasheen and breadfruit. Agriculture Minister Prospere adds that fruits being sold locally, regionally and internationally from Saint Lucian growers should adhere to a universal standard of quality. This, he notes, will improve market confidence in the crops purchased from the island.
“I strongly believe that we need to produce the top quality fruit, whether it’s for local, regional, international. There should not be a certain standard for the local supermarket or market and a different standard for the region or internationally. Our target or objective should be producing a top quality fruit.”
Poor food quality, Prospere adds, negatively affects Saint Lucia’s competitiveness on the global trading arena. The Minister says the goal of agriculturists should be to ensure the sectors remain sustainable.
“In some cases when I see the poor quality fruits that are being placed in the boxes, it worries me because the farmer knows that he will not get a good price for it. It will spoil before it gets to the destination, but yet it’s placed in the box.”
The Ministry of Agriculture as well as Export Saint Lucia have been working to diversify the island’s agricultural exports and provide sustainability to the sector.
