Proposed Tissue Culture Lab to help link Agriculture and Tourism Industries
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Contact: Chris Satney
Friday, 18 April 2008 – Taiwan Ambassador to Saint Lucia His Excellency Tom Chou thinks the establishment of a tissue culture lab on the island will help enhance the country’s tourism product. Ground was broken at the Union Agriculture Station last week for the commencement of construction of a building to house the operations of such a lab.
Through the use of new tissue culture technology, Taiwan will help Saint Lucia mass produce several crops including orchids. Ambassador Chou said the tissue culture technology is a lot faster than Saint Lucia’s traditional methods.
“St. Lucia was nominated, for the fifth time, the most favourable destination for honeymooners. If we can have a successful agriculture and eco-tourism product, I think you can hold that kind of title for another ten or twenty years,” said the Taiwanese Ambassador.
Minister for Agriculture, Lands, Forestry and Fisheries Honourable Ezechiel Joseph agrees the project will serve the purpose of better linking the agriculture and tourism industries, with local farmers benefiting most.
“What we are doing is to commercialise the whole aspect of tissue culture and to introduce a number of crops that we want to put into the system, whereby, we can support our farmers,” said the minister.
The minister said the equipment that will used to produce the tissue culture plants is presently on island and has already been put to use at a make-shift facility. He said the small operation will be moved to its rightful place, once the building to house the lab is completed. |
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