(PRESS RELEASE) – The Government of Saint Lucia through Export Saint Lucia continued in 2019 to support the development of the island’s Industries.
CEO of Export Saint Lucia Ms. Sunita Daniel reported that the Agency sought to develop these businesses through innovation and creativity, thereby positively impacting their bottom line and ability to create and sustain employment.
In 2019, Export Saint Lucia took on a number of ambitious challenges, one of them being the export of sundried Saint Lucian Seamoss to the U.K. and U.S. markets, a first for the island, resulting in the following:
· Increase in seamoss exports revenue of $500,000;
· Increased and sustained exports of sun-dried seamoss;
· A rejuvenated zeal of seamoss farmers to increase production;
· Direct impact on job creation on the east coast of Praslin, Micoud, and Eau Piquant. Over 100 new farmers have gone into seamoss cultivation.
Export Saint Lucia has also been assisting traditional farmers with sourcing new markets to export fresh agricultural produce. Mangal Trading, Canelles Farms, Perineau’s Exports and other suppliers of agricultural produce have thus far been direct beneficiaries and are making much headway into new markets. Other significant interventions include:
· The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Black Bay Farmers’ Cooperative to strengthen the capacity of farmers to exploit new markets;
· Spearheading the branding of Saint Lucia Bananas to create an internationally known brand, leading to the increase of banana exports;
· Implementation of the “Bee City” project, with the ultimate goal of exporting natural honey.
In 2019, Export Saint Lucia introduced contractors and furniture manufacturers to Dominica to provide professional services in the rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Maria. Dominica also welcomed one of our health and wellness clients, Frances’ Rub during the later part of 2019.
Much attention was paid to the Creative Sector. For fashion designers, the Agency helped some to become export-ready, while helping others to capitalize on opportunities in international markets. For music, the Agency helped with the growth of the popular Dennery Segment genre and hosted an Image and Marketing Workshop to boost participants’ profiles and visibility. The facilitator, International Stephen, secured performances for some Saint Lucian artists at the 2019 Miami Carnival. For fine artists and artisans, the Agency successfully hosted the ‘Saint Lucia Art Showcase.’
Finally, recognizing that exporters often struggled with understanding various facets of Intellectual Property, a two-day Intellectual Property workshop with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was hosted, for which participants repeatedly expressed their gratitude and appreciation.
In 2020, the Agency is looking forward to building on the successes of the past year. We are thankful for our clients and support of the general public, and look forward to serving you in 2020 as we pursue economic growth and improvement of the standard of living for our people!
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