The Government of Saint Lucia is actively engaging the National Fair Trade Organization (NFTO) in discussions, with a view of achieving a mutual agreement that would create the best possible structure for the organization in order to benefit banana farmers and aid in the revitalization of the Banana Industry.

Speaking on NTN’s Agriculture on the Move programme, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Co-operatives, Hon. Ezechiel Joseph, indicated that the government cannot continue to funnel money into the organization in its current form. However, the Ministry of Agriculture is embarking on a number on initiatives to assist farmers and improve the banana product and the overall industry. 

“What we are going to do in the interim is to pay, because they owe farmers over 13 weeks I was told, so we are going to pay the first 5 weeks at least to give farmers some relief. So $4 million will go into paying off the balance to the farmers, putting structures in place, giving farmers support as it pertains to input, extension advice, bringing more officers in to have them on the ground working with our farmers, to put inspection policies and programs in place at the IRDCs because we need to strengthen what we are doing locally to make sure that we are able to overcome and reduce on our quality claims.”

Minister Joseph explained that one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is that of compromised quality. Winfresh’s quality claims from the NFTO as of November 1, 2020 amounted to $1.5 million.

In highlighting his vision for the industry, Hon. Ezechiel Joseph said, “I want us to have a well-restructured industry where farmers have confidence in the leadership of the industry, and where the policies that the leadership is implementing redound to the benefit of the farmers. In the short term we have to provide that guidance.”