 Welcome to Nation Beat. I am General Norville bringing you this brief on the pulse of our nation and highlights around the heart of St. Lucia. St. Lucia's Prime Minister calls for a new thinking in the banana sector. Thousands of St. Lucians enjoy the grand finale of Creole Heritage Month and Impact Justice unveils a series of new protocols. The economic strain that natural disasters unleash is being felt in St. Lucia, particularly in the banana sector post-Tropical Storm Kirk. In fact, the impact of Tropical Storm Kirk on banana cultivation in St. Lucia is creating more opportunities for Vincentian bananas on the regional market. St. Vincent's Minister for Agriculture Saboto Caesar has revealed. In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Kirk, St. Lucia has experienced an approximately 40% reduction in the export of bananas to the region. To capitalize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has contacted Winfresh to assess the situation of supply and demand from the Windward Islands and is looking to fill the gap left by St. Lucia. Against that background, St. Lucia's Prime Minister is urging a new thinking in the banana sector to ensure resilience and sustainability. Lisa Joseph has more. On September 27, 2018, Tropical Storm Kirk dumped heavy rains and winds on St. Lucia and the rest of the Eastern Caribbean, leaving a trail of destruction in the agriculture sector in its wake. One month on, local farmers are still in recovery mode with assistance from the government of St. Lucia. However, with the economic setback caused by Tropical Storm Kirk, Prime Minister the Honourable Adam Chastney says it is crucial for the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to create a sector that is informed and driven by research and data. Too many farmers are guessing what to grow, whereas the numbers exist. We know how many tomatoes we're going to consume on a weekly basis, both between the hotels and locals. We have a fairly good idea as to what our potential for exporting tomatoes are in the region. So we've got to now issue contracts to farmers so that farmers are not guessing. In 2017, in an effort to reduce the food import bill and boost the income of local farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture announced plans to target seven major crops for increased production. The crops are pineapples, cabbages, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, cantaloupes and watermelons. The seven crops' policies critical, Prime Minister Chastney says, to the shaping of the Tourism Incentives Act. Part of that implementation of policy is with regards to allowing the hoteliers to bring other foods in duty-free, because that's how we're getting them to agree to buy what we're selling. I can't be charging high duties on products we have no opportunity of producing and then getting low prices on the products I'm producing. So I'd rather forego the duties on those products and make sure I'm getting a premium on the products that I'm selling. Along with the proposed issuing of contracts to farmers, a rating system is seen as necessary in the scheme. Prime Minister Chastney elaborates. An A farmer is a farmer that has the full capacity to get the contract and execute it. So when he goes to the bank, the bank knows, no problems. If he is a B-level farmer, it outlines what the person's weaknesses are and the bank will then work with the extension officers. Still giving the person the loan, but obviously they've got to keep a closer eye on the person to make sure they're going to get it. So we've got to get this thing implemented as quickly as we possibly can. There's not a big infrastructure requirement here. I can't imagine that it's going to be more than five people to six people to crunch those numbers and to issue out contracts. Your extension officers already exist. The Prime Minister notes that in order for success to be attained under the proposed plans, farmers must maintain quality. Serious dialogue and action must be taken towards agro-processing. Not enough money, Prime Minister Chastney says, is being earned from just the sale of bananas, therefore creating by-products is essential to the economic sustainability of all stakeholders. From the Government Information Service, Lisa Joseph reporting. In keeping with changes in international oil prices and government's application of the modified market pass through petroleum pricing mechanism, the retail price of kerosene and LPG 2020 and 100 pound cylinders have been changed. Kerosene increased from $9.04 to $9.31 per gallon. The 20 pound cylinder increased by 21 cents to $32.69. The 22 pound cylinder also increased to $36.24. The 100 pound cylinder is now $203.89. The retail price of gasoline and diesel remains unchanged. The price changes take effect from Monday, October 29, 2018. The retail prices of fuel products will be next adjusted on Monday, November 19, 2018. Thousands of St. Lucians enjoyed the grand finale of Creole Heritage Month. Anisia Antoine caught up with the Prime Minister, the Honourable Alan Chastney, as he enjoyed the celebrations. Every year, festivities are held in communities around the island to celebrate St. Lucia's culture. A mix of Creole food, music, games and folklore come together to give the Zhunikweol Festival a unique flavour. The Prime Minister of St. Lucia, the Honourable Alan Chastney expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the calendar of activities for this year's celebration. Every single year we've seen this event grow and grow and grow. And what's great about this event is almost like we're starting from the opposite side. So we had a lot of good fringe events to begin with and now we're starting to create some bigger events around it. And hopefully it continues to be an attraction for St. Lucia's living abroad and all Creole lovers around the world to come here to St. Lucia. The Prime Minister stated that St. Lucia has a very authentic Creole Heritage celebration which is continuously growing. I think that we're creating our own brand of Creole and I want to continue to see it grow. The same way that we've seen our music form grow in Carnival, I would very much like to see our music form grow in Creole. So when I start seeing younger people starting to play Creole music and come out with some more original versions and some unique versions, then I know that we're really going to establish ourselves because that's what people really want to be able to see. The Zhunikweol Festival brought an end to the At Sand Creole Heritage Month for 2018. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antoine reporting. This is Nation with We're Back in a Moment. If you have to do your own spray mix for Black Stigatoga treatment, always follow the recommended safety procedures. Always wear protective gear when handling or being exposed to the fungicide or other pesticides. Use only the fungicide recommended by the Black Stigatoga Management Unit when the treatment is due. The required quantity of the particular fungicide recommended must be mixed with spray oil and applied at a rate of 1.5 to 2 gallons per acre. Fungicides which are not recommended or applied at the wrong time or even when the spray treatment is not done effectively, can cause the fungus to become resistant to the chemical and therefore may no longer control the disease. Oil fungicide mix which has been stored for too long should not be used to treat Black Stigatoga disease. If carried out, such treatments may not be effective and can lead to poor control of the disease. Remember, before each chemical treatment for Black Stigatoga disease on your farm, first the oil fungicide mix must be re-agitated immediately before application. For more information on how to treat and control Black Stigatoga on your farm or in your backyard garden, contact the Black Stigatoga Management Unit at 4515491 4515894 or email bpmu at candw.lc. This message is brought to you by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the International Cooperation and Development Fund of the Republic of China on Taiwan. Welcome back. The St. Lucia Fire Service has increased its fleet of emergency vehicles with the addition of three new ambulances. At the commissioning ceremony, Acting Chief Fire Officer Joseph Joseph lamented that there were too many motor vehicular accidents involving ambulances. Noting that both citizenry and the fire service staff have been injured, the Fire Chief explained that steps will be taken to ensure such incidents are minimized. All reasonable measures must be taken to minimize these occurrences. Therefore, with the approval of our ministry, we will embark on the development and implementation of a driver safety program. Within the program will be incorporated better training for our drivers, a reward slash incentive system for good driving, penalties for drivers in breach of established standards, and other key elements which will focus on saving lives, reducing the risk of injury, the cost associated with repairs or replacement, as well as guard against potential liabilities associated with these crashes. Minister for National Security, the Honourable Herman Gale Francis describes the actions of motorists hindering the passage of emergency vehicles as selfish. As a result, the minister urged the Royal St. Lucia Police Force to enforce the full brunt of the law. When persons fail to use a good judgment, then the law must be enforced. And I encourage the commissioner and his officers to enforce the regulations in a very known and sense manner. The Motor Vehicle and Road Driving Code Regulations, Cpt. 888.01 of the revised Russell St. Lucia, 2008, is there to guide you. Section 18 reads and I quote, A person using a motor vehicle or trailer on a road shall not fail on the approach of any emergency vehicle, including a police vehicle, fire brigade or ambulance, using a siren or otherwise, indicating emergency passage to draw up close to the left-hand side of the road and stop, leaving the centre of the road clear for the passage of the emergency vehicle. The three new ambulances will be distributed to Viewfort, the fire service headquarters in Castries, and the Bamano Fire Station, which is scheduled for commissioning in December. Improved access to justice in the Caribbean, also known as Impact Justice, is a five-year multi-country regional justice sector reform project, geared at addressing deficiencies in the justice sector in Caricum, outside of those directly related to the judiciary and the courts. Impact Justice Projects Regional Project Director Professor Belma Newton last Thursday presented a series of protocols for persons in the justice sector, working with children and persons with disabilities to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. We have developed eight protocols in each area, those for children in compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Children, and those for persons with disabilities in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The protocols are for the use of the Judiciary, Defence Council, probation officers, educators and social workers, and we're developed for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court specifically with Impact Justice funding by Dr. Jason Haines, an attorney-at-law from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Those for persons working with children were then vetted by her leadership Honourable Madam Justice Vivian Taylor Alexander. The project aims to enhance access to justice for the benefit of women, men, youth and business in Tarika member states. High Court Judge Her Ladyship Honourable Madam Justice Vivian Taylor Alexander highlighted the significance of the protocol series. We all know those of us who practice in the criminal jurisdiction that we have been struggling to ensure that our needs, or the needs of persons with disabilities and special needs have been addressed by us in the provision of the services that we give. We fall short sometimes. These protocols are designed to ensure that we are aware of what our obligations are to those persons and that insofar as they have to access the justice system we minimise any differences that exist in our system so that they can feel as if it is a system that is approachable and a system that is designed also to impact their lives as it does the life of every other person. The project which is funded by the Government of Canada seeks to achieve the goal of strengthening legal frameworks, improving legal professionalism and legal services, including legal education and information, and facilitating increased knowledge and the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Parents of students attending the Barbano Secondary School are informed that due to repair works taking place at the school, students are asked to remain home until Friday, November 2, 2018. Formal classes will resume on Monday, November 5, 2018. That's Nation Beat. Join us next time on NTN at 7.30pm with a repeat at 7.30am and on this station as we fill the pulse and heart of our community. You can also catch up with us anytime on the St Lucia Government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I am Janelle Norville.