‘I Believe We Can Do It’ – Prospere Urges Drastic Reduction In Food Import Bill – St. Lucia Times News

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Citing the challenge Saint Lucia faces regarding food security, Agriculture Minister Alfred Prospere has reiterated his concern about the Island’s high food import bill.

“We have to do the best we can to reduce it drastically. I believe we can do it,” Prospere told reporters on Monday on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting.

“I know we can do it, and I know once we engage our farmers, and we give the farmers the support that they need we will be able to reduce that,” the Minister asserted.

Prospere spoke in the wake of a sea moss festival his Ministry organised in connection with World Food Day.

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He said it was an opportunity to bring together individuals who manufacture sea moss by-products.

“We saw quite a number of persons producing various products but those persons, in my discussion with them, I could tell that there are lots of challenges in terms of standards, packaging, promotion and really a lot of them have just started by producing those products at home,” Prospere observed.

However, he disclosed that he wants to see those products on supermarket shelves.

“It is one thing to do it at home, but the next level is for us to be able to see it on the supermarket shelves,” Prospere told reporters.

He also spoke of the need to export the by-products.

The Minister said he was concerned that Saint Lucia produces a lot and sells its products abroad, where they undergo processing and return to local supermarket shelves for sale.

“If we have the potential of making it happen here, I think it is going to be a big boost for the agro-processing sub-sector,” he explained.

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