Local entrepreneur Rayneau Gajadhar has blamed the apathy of successive Saint Lucia governments for the non-implementation of his significant agriculture exports project on the Island.
The project has taken off in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where Gajadhar said he found support and ‘energy’ for the initiative.
However, he said that the project is open to the other Islands.
The Saint Lucia businessman launched Rayneau Industries Limited to assist farmers.
The company buys all farmers’ agricultural products, pays the farmers immediately, and seeks export markets.
Reports out of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines indicate that Rayneau Industries Limited is nearing the end of its first year of food export operations and has established a network of hundreds of farmers in the country.
Gajadhar explained that he had the idea for the project between 2007 and 2008.
“I saw the great need for agriculture to support the economies,” he told St. Lucia Times.
He recalled submitting documents to then Prime Minister Stephenson King, Dr. Kenny Anthony, Allen Chastanet, and Philip J. Pierre.
“I have had meetings with the Ministers of Agriculture of each of those times and I did not get the response that I was looking for. The energy wasn’t there. The drive wasn’t there,” the Saint Lucia businessman stated.
He said he happened to be in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at a meeting and pitched the idea to Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar.
“He picked it up and made it a reality within thirty days, and here we are in Saint Vincent doing this project,” Gajadhar explained.
“The demand that we have in Saint Vincent, the banks are giving loans. The credit unions are giving loans to farmers once again because they recognise a guaranteed market for the products and the return to pay back the loans is there,” he revealed.
According to Gajadhar, successive Saint Lucia governments ‘did not have the appetite’ for his initiative.
MAybe because the government and people of St. Lucia REALLY KNOW you?
Believe it or not St. Lucia government is not really interested in no agriculture economy base they will spend the Taiwanese money just as a show case nothing further. Taking Taiwanese money in exchange for UN votes and support. But again Reno St. Lucian in itself and you know it – they have no unity more so the community and background you came from they will put in there headfirst oh he wanted to get rich. Stupid set of people in governance that’s why crime is escalating and unemployment is on the rise. Don’t forget there were an article saying St. Lucia is suffering mentally. why you think the Taiwanese was building such a massive structure that currently host the hospital?
Well @Hugh, they are the ones using 100 million of tax payer dollars to finish a sub standard hospital in the south.
WHAT WE KNOW IS HE IS A GOOD BUSINESS MAN, AND HE IS NOT HUNGRY AND BEGGING LIKE SOME LUCIANS. THE IDEA HE IS SELL CAN HELP ALL FARMERS PUSH THEIR PRODUCTS. THATS A GOOD THING. WHEN YOU CULTIVATE YOUR PRODUCTS AND SELL THEM GET YOUR MONEY AND CALL IT A DAY.
well the most i can say is welcome to saint lucia where they kill dreams and everything is a drag and slow. Now that the banana is dieing although recently i saw some post saying that our bananas are being highly sought after now MAybe now they will make it happen.
Rich businessman pissed that government won’t give him taxpayers money to further enrich himself. This venture will only drive up prices locally. Supply v demand as farmers will be able to get a higher price outside.
Why do you Government support to buy goods from the farmers?
@ economist – your logics full of shit
Anonymous you dumb@$$. Talk about full of shit. You must be a treatment plant. If farmers can sell their produce in markets 3 times the price overseas why would they sell here? That would reduce the supply for the local market and drive up prices. See the price of plantain now? Yes it is because there is very limited supply. In a few months when supply is abundant the price will reduce. The level of ignorance in people in this country is simply baffling. And you’re #1 ignoramus.
@economist bobolist. you’re still full of shit with your science of price prostituting and scarcity BS. The cognitive part at the top of your structure doesn’t warrant you to drop anchor in St. Lucia.
Tell me about lack of support for agriculture by Government, regardless of which party is in power. I personally am very aware of the apathy. Smh. Great initiative Ray.
The initiative is a good one. I remember reading about it on a Vincentian news site and I thought why isn’t this an initiative in St. Lucia? The Vencies have ran with the idea. And here we have people talking shit.
Keep growing Reyneau, your success is definitely worth emulating. Hope our Caribbean young men and women will get motivated and build their brands as well.
Keep climbing sir! Great business move! Many other possibilities awaits…
Lucian’s again , all we see is laybar and flambeau . I feel badly for my people . We are so divided. Sir I would like to thank you , for looking out for our struggling farmers in this country. Some people may say that you donor pay your workers well, but thanks for providing employment for our people . We need it .
You are one man for sure that don’t depend on no government to keep moving forward. You are laughing at them right in their faces. Keep using your brain in the right direction. They cannot you . 2smart$a$$ for that .
St. Vincent always had a more buoyant agricultural economy than us. Our food security sucks and we cannot even feed ourselves so why should our farmers sell our produce to one man for export. Now export to where when we don’t even have for the supermarkets and hotels. We importfor than we produce.