 The Ministry of Agriculture has officially handed over the management responsibilities of the banana ripening facility in Larkai, Denry to the National Fair Trade Organization, the NFTO, a move anticipated to have a positive impact on the entire supply chain by promoting fairness, sustainability, and quality in the production and distribution of bananas. The handing over ceremony of the ripening facility signifies a strategic move to enhance the banana industry by adding substantial value, responding to the robust demand for ripe bananas at both the local and international levels. Chairman of the NFTO, Eustace Monroe, welcomed the responsibility and affirmed his organization's commitment to upholding fair trade principles, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the banana sector. If you look at the situation having to do with NFTO, not NFTO but Winfresh, where they got the money from? They got the money from the second stage, the added value, ripening the fruits for supermarkets. Because the banana is a very cheap fruit. And to make morning bananas, you must have a very large volume of bananas. And banana is used as a loss leader in all supermarkets. It's the cheapest fruit, but you must have volume to make some money. Right now, at our stage now in St. Lucia, I do not think we have that kind of volume that will muster a lot of profit. So you must get some added value, something that can boost this farmer's income. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Honorable Alfred Prospe, emphasized the importance of establishing these infrastructures in aligning with the government's commitment to promoting fair trade and improving the quality of bananas in the agricultural sector. I'm sure we have seen an increasing demand for ripe bananas. You hardly see ripe bananas in the supermarkets shelves. Now, although we know it is as a result of the storm, but if we understand the nutritional value of ripe bananas, the rule that ripe bananas play in terms of food security, you would understand the importance of this ceremony today. And I want to urge the NFTO to take full advantage of this opportunity, use it as a new revenue-generating project to be able to allow the NFTO to become more sustainable. Minister Prospe expressed the ministry's dedication to creating a more equitable and sustainable agricultural environment, marking a significant step in collaboration with the NFTO towards building a resilient and competitive banana sector. From the information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Amanda Fake-Lock reporting.