 A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the WISC Caribbean Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean SAC project and the enhancement of efficiency of production distribution supply chains in the fruits and vegetable sector project to allow for addressing weaknesses in the sector, minimizing threats and exploring opportunities with the aim of enhancing food security. Ambassador of the Republic of China Taiwan to Saint Lucia, His Excellency Peter Chien-Chien, explains the framework of the agreement forms the basis for future collaboration between the two projects in priority agriculture work areas. He affirmed that the government and people of Taiwan will continue to support the development of Saint Lucia's agriculture sector. We established a more efficient agricultural production scheduling mechanism and improved the production and supply chains for local agricultural products to enhance the competitiveness of the agriculture industry and promote food security in Saint Lucia. And we are glad to know that WISC under its five-year project, the sustainable agriculture in the Caribbean shares the same interests and goals. Therefore, the MOU creates a great synergy for both our projects. Taiwan look forward to more collaboration with other partners in Saint Lucia. Together, we can achieve more. The SAC project is funded under Canada's Caribbean Regional Development Program and is part of their commitment to support climate resilience and food security in five Caribbean countries inclusive of Saint Lucia. Senior Development Officer of Global Affairs, Canada, Carol H. Sun, expressed that this partnership is critical to the increase in production outcomes and the achievement of the project's objectives. So it's very important for us as program managers and development practitioners not just to work in our own silos but really to ensure that we optimize resources by cross by leveraging the resources of our partnerships and it's an honor for us to support the government of Saint Lucia in this effort. We really appreciate those partnerships that move the sector beyond business as usual and result in the generation and application of research and I drove past some of the farms on my way over from the airport and saw some of the innovation that's on the ground and also the testing and adoption of climate resilience technology and innovation and the expansion that will expand the small farmer capacity and especially for Canada the impact that it can have on our women and youth. One of the most recent accomplishments coming out of the collaboration between the agriculture ministry and the SAC project is the training in vegetable grafting as a technique in climate smart agriculture, integrated pest management and plant biotech stress management which exposed 150 agricultural stakeholders inclusive of farmers, extension officers and input suppliers to the method of grafting tomatoes and peppers onto the rootstock of wild eggplants to eliminate bacterial wilt a disease that has been destroying production levels on the island. Minister for Agriculture Honourable Alfred Prosper in speaking at last week's graduation exercise encouraged the graduating cohort to use the practices and lessons learned to increase their productivity and enhance the resilience of their livelihoods. The infestation of bacterial wilt has caused the country millions of dollars in losses in both tomato and peppers particularly bell peppers. In addition the high cost of inputs including fertilizer, pesticides and labour have further exacerbated the challenges faced by our farmers and agricultural enthusiasts. Solutions such as vegetable grafting offer our farming population some measure of relief in these challenging times. The ability of our crops to withstand heavy pest and disease loads while delivering the yields that make production profitable is definitely a step in the right direction. Recognising the need for the adaptation of the best practices to strengthen resilience within the sector Minister Prosper says the agriculture ministry will continue to build key relationships with sector agencies and partners as the ministry continues sustainable intervention efforts. From the communications unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting.