 The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Taiwan Technical Mission, placed the limelight on the need for the incorporation of locally grown foods into our diet through an eggplant exposition. The eggplant culinary experience intended to encourage a conscious shift in consumption habits and behaviour toward the use of the eggplant as students from the Stanley John Odler Memorial Secondary School, Castres Comprehensive Secondary School, and Upton Garden Girls Center showcased different ways in which the crop can be incorporated into daily meals. Dishes on display included cheesy eggplant, eggplant bread, candied eggplant, and hotel-style eggplant, which whilst appetizing can also give a decent supply of potassium and fiber. Ambassador of the Republic of China Taiwan to St. Lu Xia, His Excellency Peter Chien-Chien, incommending the students on their creativity and innovation in designing eggplant recipes, says his government and people have taken note of youth interest in various aspects of the agri-food industry and as such will remain steadfast in working with the Agriculture Ministry to promote capacity-building in St. Lu Xia's agriculture sector to improve livelihoods and enhance food security. The eggplant is one of my favourite vegetable, but today it's really beyond my expectation. I didn't know that you can use eggplant to make so many different kinds of food, no matter like ordinary dishes or even candy. I never imagined that you can use eggplant to make candy, so that's really amazing. And today we also see a lot of talented young people and as I say there's a lot of talented people in St. Lu Xia. That's why my embassy and my government work with the government of St. Lu Xia trying to build up and promote human or people's capacity in St. Lu Xia, no matter our agriculture project, our education project, or our other project. The focus is people. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Honourable Alfred Prosper, in highlighting that the rising costs of food imports and products and availability remain a challenge for St. Lu Xia, notes that efforts like the eggplant culinary experience are strategic actions aimed at boosting awareness of the necessity of purchasing locally in order to strengthen St. Lu Xia's food security. Our food import bill continues to rise because we are not giving enough attention to the things that we grow in St. Lu Xia. And as a ministry, we must take that bold step to make it happen. Eggplant, just imagine, people did not, I didn't really see the demand for eggplant many years ago as a farmer. I don't grow eggplant because I don't see the demand for it in the market, but I just heard earlier this morning that there is an increasing demand for it. And what a time now for us to use our eggplant and convert it into our processing and products that we can see on our market shelves. The opportunity that creates for our single mothers, our unemployed mothers, where they can actually go into the production of those products using eggplant. Eggplant can grow very well in St. Lu Xia, so why not tap into this and take this to the next level? Minister Prosper says that measures to improve the quality of items produced on the island form part of a suit of interventions by the agriculture ministry to improve and sustain agri-food livelihoods and help augment nutrition and food security efforts in St. Lu Xia. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Andouan reporting.