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Efforts to Sustain Banana Industry Ongoing
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Efforts to Sustain Banana Industry Ongoing
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Contact: Lucius Doxerie Friday, March 16, 2001 – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Honourable Cassius Elias says, despite less than the best times in the banana industry, moves are continually taking place to ensure the survival of the local banana industry in the new competitive environment. Presently, through the Mabouya Valley Development Project (MVDP) and STABEX initiatives, more than 200 acres of land in the Mabouya Valley and the Troumassee Estates are under irrigation. Successful negotiations between the Government of Saint Lucia and the European Union for a Special Framework of Assistance (SFA) has led to the completion of work programmes, financing proposals and cost estimates for undertaking the irrigation of another 1000 acres of banana farms in Marquis, Cul de Sac, Roseau and Dennery. Irrigation, according to the minister, is an essential component of increasing yields per acre on banana farms, leading to increased production. While the move towards irrigated farms has not gone as fast as he would like, Mr. Elias is pleased that in the areas where it has been successfully implemented, the results are showing. Minister Elias says St. Lucia’s decision to "privatise" the industry and the general re-engineering of the industry here has consistently received high marks from the industry’s primary financial donor, the European Union, and has led to a 7% increase in St. Lucia’s production in 2000, while all the other Windward Islands continued to register falling production levels. |
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