St Vincent: India Pledged Support, granting US $1M for Agricultural Development

On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, a delegation of the Government of India paid a visit to St Vincent marking a defining moment in the long-standing relation between the two countries as Government of India announced a grant of US $1 million towards retrofitting three key buildings.

The delegation’s visit is expected to pave the way for a sequence of consultations and a significant grant contribution to help build the local agricultural sector. Retrofitting work will be carried out on the following buildings, that were once used for the Banana Industry:

1. La Croix Palletization Centre
2. The Langley Park Palletization Centre, and
3. The Lauders Agro-processing Facility.

Apart from the retrofitting projects, the delegation from India also visited a new facility being constructed to improve the processing of Arrowroot and other starches. This project shall hugely upgrade efficiency and the production of starch in St Vincent, which is the core of its agricultural system.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry, and Labour, Saboto S Caesar said that continued and profuse thanks must be extended to the Government and people of India for its exceptional generosity and kindness.

“This grant is a demonstration of the strong and growing relationship between our countries. These retrofitted facilities will not only bring back to life important infrastructure but will stimulate growth and innovation within our agricultural sector,” said Minister Caesar.

In sum, the retrofitting and development projects will boost agricultural infrastructure and give the much-needed support to farmers in St Vincent. These improvements are hoped to bring about the efficiency of all the processes in agriculture, thus contributing to the economic development of rural communities.

This visit and the ensuing grant are a hallmark to the yearning of the Government of India to see sustainable agriculture developed in St Vincent.

The partnership between the two countries is moving further down the line of opening windows for future collaboration that could bring alive a shared vision of progress and prosperity.