 Global Affairs Canada and the World University Services of Canada WUSC through the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean Project, partnered to deliver a range of essential equipment to the Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries, food security, and rural development, to aid in the hosting of farmer-filled schools, along with digital USB microscopes and potable pH meters for soil testing. The entities also signed an Integrated Pest Management Sub-Project Agreement, which was a crucial step towards starting tomato varietal trials that will help local farmers, especially women and young people, fight agricultural issues. The sub-project, which focuses on training programs across three agricultural regions, target the control of pests affecting key crops like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and cabbages. According to the Senior Director of Programs of WUSC, Sam Lenden, the handover of the farmer-filled school materials, along with advanced digital equipment for soil testing, signifies a strategic investment in empowering local agricultural communities. As we all know, the climate is changing globally, but also here in the Caribbean, and agriculture is changing accordingly, and we need to constantly be innovating, and WUSC is here to help support St. Lucia and St. Lucia farmers innovate. Over 100 growers benefited from enhanced pest control strategies by receiving critical inputs and attending knowledge-sharing workshops with the ultimate goal of increasing crop quality and output. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development, Byron Mofilicia says this initiative exemplifies the agriculture ministry's commitment to fostering a resilient farming sector and ensuring food security for future generations. With this support, we will be able to identify and deal with critical pests affecting the production and the yield of those crops, but the difference is now that we have equipment to help us deliver it in real time. So we can, in the field, almost immediately identify what disease or what pest is affecting the crop, the particular crop, and instruct the farmer on what management practices and guidelines to institute to help them in a timely manner deal with any damage that may be caused. By integrating productivity enhancement, climate resilience, and empowerment, this initiative undertaken by the Agriculture Ministry, along with the Global Affairs Canada and World University Services of Canada, is positioned to generate long-term benefits for the agricultural sector. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting.