 This annual supply of fertilizer is made possible through the Moroccan Soil Facility Project, a partnership between the Agriculture Ministry and the Kingdom of Morocco, which ensures that the fertilizer is specially formulated to meet local soil health needs as stipulated by the Department of Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services Unit. Councilor of the Embassy of Morocco, Said al-Milaji, says his government stands proud to be associated with its agriculture counterparts here in St. Lucia and will continue to endeavor in creating the best possible environment for the local aquifood economy to thrive. The cooperation relations between Morocco and St. Lucia have experienced in recent years a significant dynamic in various areas. In this regard, I applaud the achievement in agriculture sector in St. Lucia and the fruitful results of practical cooperation between Morocco and St. Lucia and I hope that donation will further strengthen the capacity of St. Lucia for agricultural development and benefit farmers. Juggling a myriad of constraints to food production have proven quite challenging for agriculture leaders. The rising cost of inputs, delayed shipment of supplies, adjusting to ever-changing climatic conditions and managing pests and diseases to ensure soil and plant health are all critical areas to consider when designing the framework for the nation's food security and sovereignty agenda. For the Agriculture Minister Hon. Alfred Prospect, this latest donation from the Kingdom of Morocco is an active illustration of an agricultural partnership which gives an appropriate response to a sector and constituents in need. We know the level of importance and concern with regards to food security. This is a problem that is affecting us globally and St. Lucia being a small country, we know how it can impact on our farmers. So it is important that we ensure that we reach out to our farmers because they are the ones responsible for the production of food. And I've always said to my ministry that the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for food production in St. Lucia. We know of the gluts, sometimes the farmers are disadvantaged by hurricanes and natural disasters impacting them. And as you know, we do not have agricultural insurance in St. Lucia. So our farmers are really struggling now and I am happy that soon from now they will get some level of relief, they will get some bags of fertilizer that will help reduce on the cost of production. The 3,924 bags of fertilizer received from the Kingdom of Morocco are being distributed free of charge to farmers who are pre-selected based on a criteria set by the Regional Extension Offices to assist with soil fertility challenges and post-production. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, this is Amanda Faye Clark reporting.