A strategic intervention by the Laborie Cooperative Credit Union, Export Saint Lucia and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has resulted in significant rehabilitation and functional upgrades to the Black Bay Farmers Cooperative Packhouse in Vieux Fort, creating a more modern and efficient facility for the handling, preparation, cooling and storage of fresh produce.
The collaboration forms part of a wider project led by Export Saint Lucia to strengthen Saint Lucia’s capacity to supply quality fresh produce to domestic, regional and extra-regional markets. The project was developed in response to persistent challenges across the fresh produce value chain and is intended to improve the systems and infrastructure required to move produce efficiently from farm to market.
The CDB-supported project focuses on strengthening key points within the agricultural value chain to improve post-harvest efficiency, reduce losses, enhance product quality and strengthen market readiness. By addressing gaps in infrastructure, cold-chain capacity, food-safety systems and operational practices, the initiative is designed to help farmers and packhouse operators overcome barriers that can limit access to higher-value markets and export opportunities.
A key component of the initiative is the rehabilitation and upgrading of four strategically located packhouses: Odsan, Black Bay, Belle Vue and Grace. These facilities are being strengthened as aggregation, handling and distribution points, with investments aimed at improving their functionality and supporting more efficient movement of fresh produce to the global marketplace.
Export Saint Lucia’s Chief Executive Officer, Sunita Daniel, shares that the investment is about more than improving physical facilities;
“Our goal is not simply to improve facilities, but to create the systems that allow our farmers to compete beyond Saint Lucia. This investment brings us closer to a stronger, more efficient and export-ready agricultural sector, where quality local produce can move confidently from farm to the global marketplace.”
Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage, highlighted the broader importance of strengthening the country’s agricultural and export infrastructure, noting [that];
“..investments that improve the quality, efficiency and market readiness of local produce are essential to expanding economic opportunities for farmers and increasing Saint Lucia’s competitiveness in international markets.”
The Black Bay Farmers Cooperative Packhouse is now better positioned to support the journey from farm to market, strengthening the link between loc
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