The Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA) is encouraging organic farming.

Jerson Badal, TEPA Director of Client Services Delivery, said organic produce widens an exporter’s market access and increases income.

“Growing organic provides farmers with access to a greater market. For example, if you have two identical tomatoes in a US grocery store, one being organic, and the other non-organic, even with a higher price, the organic tomato, under current demand from millennials would move faster. And especially with small countries like ours that doesn’t produce a large supply, fetching a high price in niche markets is more important than mass production,” he said.

While the certification process is expensive, TEPA is able to provide support for organic farmers.

“The way organic certification works is that you have to prove to the inspection body that for the last two years you have not used any of the chemicals that fall outside the organic range,” Mr. Badal explained. “We have a few exporters here who are considering it, but it’s a process, because for many years Saint Lucia, which was heavily mono-cropped in terms of bananas, has been using pesticides that do not fall within that organic range. So you would have to stop using them for a period of two years before you could get that certification.

“The certification is quite costly. TEPA has tried to assist farmers in the past and we are appealing to farmers who wish to go organic to come to TEPA to see how we can provide support.

Officials are encouraging new agricultural entrepreneurs and younger farmers to adopt organic farming practices due to increased health benefits and a higher product value.