Saint Lucian farmers could be better positioned to get more local produce into regional and international markets following a major upgrade to the Black Bay Farmers Cooperative Packhouse in Vieux Fort.
The rehabilitation, supported through a collaboration involving Export Saint Lucia, the Laborie Cooperative Credit Union and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), has transformed the facility to improve the handling, preparation, cooling and storage of fresh produce.
The investment tackles some of the longstanding obstacles facing Saint Lucia’s fresh produce sector, including inadequate infrastructure, cold-chain limitations, food-safety systems and post-harvest losses. The broader goal is to improve product quality and help farmers meet the standards required to access higher-value markets.
Black Bay is one of four strategically located packhouses being rehabilitated under the initiative, alongside facilities at Odsan, Belle Vue and Grace. The packhouses are being strengthened as aggregation, handling and distribution points to move local produce more efficiently from farms to markets.
Export Saint Lucia CEO Sunita Daniel said the investment goes beyond upgrading buildings, with the larger objective being to establish systems that allow Saint Lucian farmers to compete internationally.
“Our goal is not simply to improve facilities, but to create the systems that allow our farmers to compete beyond Saint Lucia,” Daniel said, adding that the investment moves the country closer to a more efficient and export-ready agricultural sector.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage Dr. Ernest Hilaire said improving the quality, efficiency and market readiness of local produce is critical to expanding economic opportunities for farmers and strengthening Saint Lucia’s competitiveness internationally.
With the improvements, the Black Bay facility is expected to strengthen the link between local agricultural production and markets beyond Saint Lucia, giving farmers improved infrastructure to move their produce from the farm to a potentially much wider customer base.
