The International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) held two farmers’ markets in July and September, 2019, at the famous yacht harbors of Rodin Bay Marina and Micoud region. At the market, the farmers could interact directly with the consumer and explain the process of cultivation and the hard work involved. This not only enhanced the positive image of the country's own fruits and vegetables, including their freshness, high quality and safety, but also increased the recognition of local consumers for the products. The two farmers’ markets attracted nearly 500 people from St Lucia.

The challenges of climate change are increasing in St. Lucia, one of the Caribbean Windward Islands countries. The short cultivation period of fruits and vegetables means that production is unstable and unable to meet market demand. Therefore, local supermarkets and hotels have to import large quantities of fresh produce. In order to meet the policy objectives of St. Lucia to diversify production of fruits and vegetables and import substitution, the TaiwanICDF has cooperated with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives of St. Lucia to implement the “Project for enhancing the efficiency of production-distribution supply chain in fruit and vegetable sector” since 2019. On the one hand, the project focuses on collecting information on the production and marketing of local fruits and vegetables, adjusting the production period and providing the farmers' with cultivation techniques to stabilize farmers' supply capacity. On the other hand, this project will link market channels such as local supermarkets or hotels to help farmers increase their income. In addition, through holding the farmers’ market regularly, the project hopes to increase the people’s willingness to consume domestic fruits and vegetables and establish the trust between producer and consumer, and thereby increase the number of fruits and vegetables produced in the country.

The implementation of the project has been supported and affirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives of St. Lucia and meets the needs of farmers in the country. In the future, the TaiwanICDF will continue to assist St. Lucia to improve its supply and marketing mechanism for vegetable and fruit and expand the sales market, striving to increase the added value of the country's agricultural industry.

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• Update: 2019/10/04
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