The Saint Lucia Marketing Board with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture is taking steps to strengthen the delivery of its goods and services. This move comes on the heels of a recently conducted analysis of the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Hon. Alfred Prospere, noted the “critical role the Saint Lucia Marketing Board plays in assisting farmers.” As one of the leading advocates for the 54-year-old organization, he has pledged support to improving its competitiveness.

“We understand that the Marketing Board is facing tremendous challenges, like competition from Massy Stores and the hotels. No more do our farmers have to rely solely on the Marketing Board to sell their produce. They can decide whether they sell to Massy which I was told offers a better price, or they can go straight to the hotels where they can get even more value. But the Marketing Board will always be important to the Ministry of Agriculture and I am hoping that the new board will identify the issues affecting the farmers in the sector to ensure that the Marketing Board can continue to live up to its mandate,” the minister said.

Most recently, the Saint Lucia Marketing Board strengthened its human resource complement by providing training for employees in Post-Harvest Handling and Food Safety. This was one of many strategic undertakings as the Board implements international food safety standards and improves services.