One of the highlights of Friday’s Health Fair will be a farmer’s market. Phillip Sydney, a communications consultant within the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, says eating healthy is the first step to longevity.

There will be locally produced vegetables, ground provisions and concessionaires for the public at the Farmer’s market. The health fair, organised by the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Human Services and Gender Relations, is part of the observance for Caribbean Wellness Day 2013.

Phillip Sydney from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, is encouraging the public to come on down to the William Peter Boulevard today Friday to see the benefits of local produce on your health, your pocket and the economy.

“We want people to eat healthy and it has to be local. We don’t want any macaroni and cheese. So we want our green fig salad and our tilapia, our pot fish well grilled. And we do not want any imported chicken. We want our locally produced chicken. That’s what we’re pushing. And that is healthy. Local, healthy, fresh produce from Saint Lucia. That’s what we’re pushing.”


Sydney says Saint Lucians need to be more cognizant of what they put into their bodies. The Ministry of Agriculture is advocating that organic is the way to go.

“We want to ensure that Saint Lucians eat healthy and eat what is grown locally. We do not know what is being imported. What are the growth hormones in the chicken; those big chicken thighs that look like ostrich thighs. But we know from our standpoint locally, we know we are not vaccinating anymore. That’s gone years. The only animals we vaccinate here in Saint Lucia, as far as I know, from a Ministry of Agriculture perspective, is pets,-cats and dogs.”


The Caribbean Wellness Day Health Fair is on today from 9:30am on the William Peter Boulevard in Castries and will be followed on Saturday with a Dance Extravaganza from 10am at the same venue.