 A vibrant array of coconut and cassava-based products took centre stage at the Ministry of Agriculture's Coconut and Cassava Festival, drawing participants and enthusiasts from all corners of St Lucia. The festival showcased the creativity and dedication of local farmers and entrepreneurs, offering a glimpse into the diverse uses of these locally grown products. Among the showcased items at the festival were coconut seamos icicles, fresh coconuts, cassava and coconut pastries and coconut liquor, exemplifying the potential of these natural resources. Parliamentary representative for Miku Nof, Jeremiah Norbert, expressed his enthusiasm for the festival, stating that the event not only catered to the culinary senses, but also served as an educational platform, enlightening attendees on the many roles coconut and cassava play in the island's culture and economy. While they get to enjoy the time with their family and to see so many by-products of coconut and cassava here today is very impressive and I know that this will go a long way. And I want to applaud the Ministry of Agriculture for choosing Miku to host this activity. I want to also thank the Taiwanese technical mission and the Embassy of China, Taiwan, for funding this entire activity because I think without them we would not be able to have that and we really appreciate that we can have such an activity. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Honourable Alfred Prosper underlined the critical role of events like the coconut and cassava festival in promoting local consumption and production to ensure the food and nutrition security of St Lucia. There is always an opportunity for a number of new products coming on display from what we locally produce but my concern is I do not want you to see those products only when we have a festival because I want to see them on the supermarket shelves in the small shops in the local in the communities where our kids and other persons can access them. Now I know they have challenges with food safety and standards and labeling and packaging. We had a meeting with the agro processors a few days ago and they raised all those challenges but I see tremendous potential in this agro processing sub-sector that St Lucia can tap into and create that opportunity for more of our persons to generate an income from that sub-sector. As the Ministry of Agriculture continues its steadfast commitment to promoting awareness of local products and fostering entrepreneurial innovation, Minister Prosper has a firm that further initiatives are underway to fortify economic growth, reinforce food security and enhance the livelihoods of all citizens in St Lucia. From the communications unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting.