Saint Lucia Agriculture Minister Alfred Prospere has disclosed that he is mulling an agriculture exports initiative that local businessman Rayneau Gajadhar successfully launched in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
However, Prospere indicated that Saint Lucia may not be ready for such a project.
“It is something I am still thinking about, but I am hoping something can work out but I am not sure at this time we are ready for the same arrangement that he has in Saint Vincent,” the Minister stated on the sidelines of Tuesday’s House of Assembly sitting.
Gajadhar launched Rayneau Industries Limited in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The company buys all farmers’ agricultural products, pays the farmers immediately, and seeks export markets.
Gajadhar blamed the apathy of successive governments for the failure to implement the project in Saint Lucia.
“We have not received any proposals from him in terms of government,” Saint Lucia’s Agriculture Minister stated.
“I know we have had a lot of discussion around it, and you know, how we think it can work,” Prospere recalled.
Nevertheless, the Island’s Agriculture Minister explained that Saint Lucia differs from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Prospere pointed to the Saint Lucia Marketing Board, where farmers are already registered.
He also observed that some farmers have contracts to supply places like hotels and Massy Stores Supermarket.
At the same time, Prospere declared that the Rayneau project would have been best for Saint Lucia farmers, ensuring that they get paid for whatever they produce.
In addition, he noted the importance of competition.
“But at the same time you want to ensure that the decisions you make would not negatively impact the farmers,” the Minister said.
This man is so backwards with no vision it’s a shame. He is too old fashioned for the mindset required if we expect to see the diversification of agriculture
Like I mentioned before the SLP wasn’t expected to win therefore they send lasso in a wild cow pasture and whoever the rope caught that’s how they select their portfolio or maybe they put name in box shake and draw, either way because what we voted for is not what we are getting. This private businessman have no interest in St. Lucia anymore, he will continue to milk the cow until it last.
Rayneau Gajadhar has too much native intelligence and Dog-gone business smarts to run away from an opportunity to make a quick legal but lasting ‘Buck’ yet the Minister, fearful of many factors, is looking for a way out of a difficult spot.
To say that “St. Lucia may not be ready for such a project” yet St. Vincent seem to embrace such an initiative. That’s watch’s wrong with this Administration, a lack of Vision and too much fear of the hidden boss, who himself has no fear in dealing with deals fearlessly.
So prospere, how is it that an initiative like this is not worthy of Saint Lucia and Saint Lucian farmers? Perhaps farmers will get a higher price for their produce or perhaps that initiative will encourage farmers to produce more to cater for a foreign market or even encourage new people into farming knowing that their produce already has a market waiting…so how is it that this initiative can work in Saint Vincent but you don’t think it can work in Saint Lucia? Boy I tell you, we have some visionless people leading this country….they have eyes but they can’t see. They have brains but they can’t think….They can’t see the wood for the trees…the article says the company buys all farmers’ products, pays farmers immediately and seeks export markets…what about this prospere thinks won’t benefit farmers? Then He said he doesn’t want a decision to negatively impact farmers…let that sink in a moment…how does giving farmers more choice, more market access negatively affect farmers?…🤔🤔🤔🤔 Nous tous finis….
I am a farmer and I do not know the name of this minister of agriculture…save after reading this article.
This says alot…He has not left his imprint on the ministry up to this point.
I leave the rest unsaid.
For you people glorifying this, how about you ask the consumers of St. Vincent what they think about the price increases they are experiencing when one major company purchases all the fish landed by their fishers. What do you think happens to supply then prices when one player purchases all the product of the farmers for export? If there is no counterbalance this will be a major problem.
If agricultural supplies and fish were short in St Vincent it would be in the media
Please don’t make excuses for your incapable minister of agriculture in St Lucia
Maybe the Minister of Agriculture needs to read the Saint Lucia Marketing Board Act. Established in 1967 by an Act of Parliament, the Saint Lucia Marketing Board is mandated to stimulate, facilitate and improve fresh agricultural produce’s production, marketing and processing. The SLMB is expected to secure favourable arrangements for the purchase and resale of Saint Lucian produce both in local and export markets. Box of rocks and sheep leading sheep.
Farming is bullshit in st lucia, no vision from peter Josie to prospere those guy are only concern about tourism.. When mosa ju Baptists was there same shit no wonder farmers have to put needles in their plantain , green fig and macabo to deter people from selling it when you see them selling young plantain is crackheads that stealing from the farmers and selling it for the venders farmers have to put pins in the plantain but the jumbies are stealing the tall bunches thinking that the farmers can’t reach it to put the pins in it … Its just a hard life for farmers …
Asking for friend, have you not realized our supermarket industry is a near monopoly? They already announced we have too many bananas and this minister is as useless as the last one
@Anonymous February 15, 2024 At 4:23 pm – you serious? if you are what level of training do we have in such entity?
Saint Lucia is not ready for something like that. What a limited myopic perspective. Get out of the way, grant the concessions necessary for this massive project get off the ground & allow the free market to run.
Give
Let me be very clear to all st Lucian’s. What is going on is that certain individuals who believe they in charge of the labour party, do not want St Lucia to move forward under this guy. That coolie minus the degrees, have more brains and initiative than the whole SLP combined. They dont want him to do business. So they are using their position to block the initiative out of jealousy. So instead of st Lucians benefitting from this, they rather block it. St Lucia needs a solid manufacturing sector that can absorb the type of labour and skills that we have. This is the only way forward for vieux fort and soufriere to enable direct benefits to the people. Not just resorts and horses for a small group of people with money not trickling down. But bad mind SLP politicians are envious of the man,s millions. Not everyone was born to be rich and that’s okay. Some people have it in them to make money, they take risks, sometimes the odds on their favour, sometimes they get lucky, for some it doesn’t work out. That’s life. But doing things with malice in their hearts will bite SLP back like the king cobra snake venom. Unsurvivable.
The ministry of Agriculture is in absentee mode in st Lucia. They keep on whipping the tourism horse to drive this economy rather than empower people to create enterprises where they became more solvent…..nous finis
Sad, our farmers work their butt off deliver their produce to hotels supermarkets and wait for weeks before they are paid. What measures are in place for those farmers to purchase groceries on credit terms at the supermarkets? What measures are in place for them to book a night at a hotel and pay later.
Everything you guys do are all calculated in your own interest. You fear the Hotels threaten to go elsewhere? BS. They need St. Lucia. I mean look at the proposer’s 🙌 Wonder why people migrate? I would encourage farmers to demand cash up front for their produce or goodbye St. Lucia market.
For years farmers have been treated as illiterates as poor and needy.
Bill Gates has adopted the Green House concept Why?
Farmers are the wealthiest people out there the question is how do our local farmers step out of their mindset, and take control of their future?
Note: Any time an investment lands cash directly into the hands of our people, there is resistance from those who may have no control of the benefits.