 The enhancement of efficiency in the production distribution supply chain of the fruits and vegetables sector project, also known as the 7 crops project, has seen an increase in the production of the selected 7 crops, as well as the establishment of stable markets for farmers and the introduction of new technologies, all with the goal of lowering St Lucia's food import bill. The collaborative initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Taiwan Technical Mission, now in its second phase, will expand to include crops other than the original 7, such as sweet corn, squash, zucchini, and sugar apple. Ambassador of the Republic of China Taiwan to St Lucia, His Excellency Peter Chien-Chien, notes that the combined efforts of the governments of Taiwan and St Lucia over the next five years intend to significantly grow and develop St Lucia's agriculture sector, benefiting St Lucia's families. When the second phase of the project moving forward, we expect to help diversify food production, strengthen the sales and marketing mechanism, and to bolster resilience of the agriculture sector. Taiwan and St Lucia are both island countries, prone to the negative impacts of climate change. That's why we have long partnered with each other to strengthen local agriculture capacity, which is not only the crucial industry for development, and also a key element to address climate issues. Last, but not the least, I want to take this opportunity to commend excellent work and great achievements of all from Taiwan Technical Mission and Ministry of Agriculture and local farmers who involved in the first phase of the project. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Honourable Alfred Prosper expressed gratitude to the Taiwanese government and people for their continued support. While the mandate of the project remains the same, Minister Prosper stated that phase two of the initiative will focus on providing production assistance to stakeholders and farmers, with a primary focus on marketing and market access. In the original phase, much emphasis was placed on production, but in this phase, although production will be featured, the key areas of concentration will be on increased mechanisation to reduce the cost of production, adding value through agro-processing, market access and marketing. I continue to emphasise the point that farming is a business. Nowadays, an urgent need for reliable markets to dispose of the farm produce. We are aware of this market constraint and seek to provide some remedy to this challenge. We look forward to continued success under this project to help our farmers enjoy better rewards and livelihoods. Recognising the project's success to date, Minister Prosper affirmed the Government of St Lucia's commitment to continue working closely with the Taiwan Technical Mission to develop St Lucia's agriculture sector. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anisia Antoine reporting.