 Mr. Speaker, as I rise to make my presentation on the appropriations bill 2023-2024, I want to first make mention of a very important individual from the Henry South, my constituency. She is well known as Celay. She is to be a funeral service will be on Friday afternoon and I want to take time to express my sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. Also in my constituency, Mr. Speaker, there is a vote that left yesterday morning and has not returned and three of our officials are out there and I'm praying that they will get the guidance from God and hope to see them back to port very shortly. Mr. Speaker, it has been a very challenging year and I want to make special mention to my wife, my daughter who is in the States now and I'm sure she's watching and to thank all those for the courage, support and strength to journey throughout this period as the Minister of Agriculture and the MP for the Henry South. Mr. Speaker, preliminary estimates in the agricultural sector suggest that real value added in the sector expanded by 9.8% in 2022 after two consecutive years of contractions. This partial recovery, Mr. Speaker, was broad based and included higher levels of output in all sub sectors including bananas, non-banana crops, livestock and fishing. These outcomes, Mr. Speaker, were consistent with improving demand following the relaxation of the COVID-19 protocols and the associated continued economic rebound both domestically and regionally. Mr. Speaker, mitigating this performance will, as a result of several supplied side factors with slow growth including a higher cost of essential agricultural inputs due to prolonged supply chain disruptions and noticeable increases in prices. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, financing constraints and a continued decline in the number of active farmers, particularly in the banana industry, tempered output gains in 2022. During the review period, while output of non-banana crops continued to be hampered by weather patterns, pests and disease, some farmers were drawn towards the production of short crops amid the uncertainty surrounding banana exports to the UK. As a result, Mr. Speaker, the production of non-banana crops has measured by the combined volume of produce procured by hotels and supermarkets increased by 14.8% to 3,393 tons in 2022 compared to 2021, although still below the 2019 levels. This outcome, Mr. Speaker, was mostly influenced by continued recovery in hotel consumption by 75.2% to 794.8 tons consistent with the upsurge in stay over arrivals in 2022 relative to 2021. Mr. Speaker, almost half of this increase was in fruits and tree crops followed by non-traditional vegetables. These hotel purchases generated $5.9 million in revenue, representing an increase of 84.4% compared to 2021. Supermarket purchases, Mr. Speaker, also grew by 3.8% to 2.52598.2 tons in 2022, valued at $12.5 million. This was primarily due to increased purchases in non-traditional vegetables by 22.5%, offsetting decreases in traditional vegetables and root and tubers. So, Mr. Speaker, we have been doing very well in the agricultural sector, and I want to continue encouraging our farmers to continue to ensure that we reproduce at the scale and level that is required, Mr. Speaker, because as a country, Mr. Speaker, we have to be able to feed ourselves, our food import bill continue to rise, and we must encourage our farmers to produce what we eat or to grow what we eat, Mr. Speaker. and to eat what we grow. Total earnings from these purchases of other crops go by 26.0% to $18.5 million in 2022, just under that in 2029. This improved revenue performance was partly due to higher selling prices influenced by an upward shift in production costs brought on by high global inflation. Industry figures have increased over the past few years, and this is a good bad guy for this sector figure here, and also our food production in China, bananas, macarons, and other fruits, also by $9.8 million. That's 9.8%, Mr. Speaker, and I want to say to these farmers, it's a good achievement. We know that everything that goes through a situation on the side, and this one, and these bananas are used to produce what we eat, but I'm happy that we still have a great effort to produce what we eat, and to make an effort to increase the amount of food we eat, we know how to produce what we eat, but we can't. Mr. Speaker, according to the economic and social review, preliminary estimates suggest that real output in the livestock sector expanded by 10.2% in 2022 after surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels last year, due to rising demand within the domestic economy. Chicken and pork production recorded a combined increase of 24.4% to 3,288.2 tons in 2022, while egg production rose by 3.4%. Chicken output increased by 17.2% to 2,667 tons in 2022, the highest levels registered to date. There was a notable uptick in local demand from hotels and restaurants as well as producers' efforts to satisfy the quota of 28.6% for domestic chicken output. Mr. Speaker, consistent with higher production levels and unit prices, revenues from chicken production increased by 31.8% to $36.5 million in 2022. Mr. Speaker, pork production rose by 69.4% to 620.5 tons, which represents a doubling of output relative to 2019. This performance, Mr. Speaker, was principally attributed to rising local demand. Similarly, revenue from recorded pork sales went up by $3.5 million to $8.2 million in 2022. Mr. Speaker, as you can see, our local livestock production did extremely well in 2022. And that is a clear indication of the strategic direction of the ministry and the government to meet our food security needs. I am not a farmer here. I am not a farmer here. I am a farmer in the rural communities. I am not a farmer here. I want to encourage these farmers to continue to take a step back to agricultural farming. It is not a strong government. It is a very difficult situation. It has not changed. situation, government, pas à changer, nous n'essayons que de climate change, ça c'est un bac à nous, on va savoir qui c'est, qui est venu, on va en bout, on va croire qu'il y a une épyame russe, c'est pas nous qui mettaient, c'est la laimoutée, le gouvernement est pour garder qui est venu, ça n'a son lancement, et c'est pour ça, on voulait dire, continue à faire continue, continue, continue, continue, continue, continue, continue, continue, continue, continue, continue. Mr Speaker, on another note, the importation of meat accounts for a significant percentage of the nation's food import bill. In 2022, Mr. Speaker, the total food import bill was valued at $486 million, whilst the total import of meats, total $95 million representing a 19.5% increase. There has been a consistent rise in the volume and value of meat imports throughout the years, and this trend is expected to increase unless, Mr. Speaker, specific measures are implemented to reverse this. Therefore, the policy measure of continued focus on the development of the livestock sector through the full establishment of the volat agricultural station seeks to address that problem, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as part of efforts to reduce the high food import bill and assuring food security for our people, attention has been focused on the livestock sector to harness the tremendous potential for expansion and thereby satisfying consumer demands for local produce meats while fostering national food and nutrition security, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the establishment of the volat agricultural station seeks to reduce meat imports, reduce the food import bill, develop the local livestock industry, Mr. Speaker, and strengthen our food security. I would like to say that all the efforts we have made to produce healthy food, to eat healthy food here, I would like to point out that the future will come to us in a simple way. I would like to point out that the future will come to us in a simple way. I would like to point out that the future will come to us in a simple way. I would like to point out that the government and the ministry have put in a lot of effort to program a place that will help our people to grow and evolve their livestock, that will help our people to grow and evolve their livestock. The volat livestock, the volat agricultural station Mr. Speaker, has been positioned to provide the required quality and quantities of breeding stock to facilitate increased production and productivity necessary for optimization and competitiveness. Mr. Speaker, the station will engage in the transfer of technology to livestock farmers and will be the main center for provision of livestock services to the sector. Major programs, Mr. Speaker, to be established at the volat agricultural station include one, establishment of a national breeding program which will be initiated with an immediate infusion of improved bloodlines of swine, sheep and goats through the importation of pure bred animals. So we will work to bring the animals to the field. The animals will be able to produce a lot of the animals and increase livestock production and sently sea. Farmers will then be afforded the opportunity to acquire high quality breeding stock at an at an affordable price and in a sustainable manner. Mr. Speaker, the cattle sector will receive support through a national artificial insemination program. The establishment of an artificial insemination laboratory, lab Mr. Speaker, sorry, at the Forlet Agricultural Station to further support the national artificial insemination program will be in place. And Mr. Speaker, eligible farmers can also benefit from a stud service at the station. Mr. Speaker, the facility is over 95% complete and will be ready to receive livestock and personnel by the end of May 2023. With these new interventions, Mr. Speaker, in the sector, it is anticipated that the population of ruminants and swine will increase by at least 10% within three years and grow incrementally each year as production indicators improved. Mr. Speaker, funding to undertake these transformational activities is being sought under a critical response window of the unleashing of the Blue Economy Project financed by the World Bank. We are very optimistic, Mr. Speaker, that the final approval for the initiation of the project will be communicated within the next few months. Mr. Speaker, let me go to the banana industry. Mr. Speaker, we continue to invest in the banana industry as an economic driver in the economy. In the economic and social review, 2022 page 26 paragraph one, it is noted, and I quote, the banana industry faced a myriad of challenges on both the supply and demand side. Mr. Speaker, the main supply side factors included the rising cost of input such as fertilizers, fuel, and packaging materials associated with COVID-19 related supply chain disruptions, as well as the global economic recovery and the war in Ukraine. Mr. Speaker, the economic and social review 2022 also indicated on page 26, paragraph one, and I quote, the elevation in these prices adversely affected farmers' ability to attend to banana fields and apply the required inputs at recommended time periods. So Nukadie, that industry figure, I don't know how important it is, but these farmers who are in the figure are going through a period that is not so good because they can sell the soil, they can sell the gas, they can sell the cotton, they can sell the wheat, these farmers who are in the field of COVID-19 affected and production farmers in the war in Ukraine. Nukadie, that we are farmer, we are in the figure, you participate in it because pre-production, cost of production, Mr. Speaker, increased and as a result, the return to the farmer in terms of an income would obviously have to be a lot less. The major demand factor experienced by the industry was related to access issues to the UK market on account of shipping costs, food quality concerns and volume. Mr. Speaker, despite these setbacks, available data from the Economic and Social Review suggests that banana production expanded by 11.3% to 6,596 tons in 2022. While domestic sales recovered by 9.8% or 142 tons, total banana exports began to rebound from consecutive years of decline, expanding by 11.7% relative to its lowest level in 2021 to 5,118 tons. This was principally due, Mr. Speaker, to a 58.2% increase in regional sales from 2,913 tons in 2021, which overshadowed the mark drop in banana exports to the UK. Mr. Speaker, despite this growth in banana volumes, revenue generated from total exports fell by 0.8 million to 5.3 million in 2022, owing to the lower unit price received from the regional market. Obviously, Mr. Speaker, the regional market offers a much lower price to the UK market and as a result of this, Mr. Speaker, there was a shortfall of 0.8 million. Mr. Speaker, available data show that the volume of banana exports to Caribbean countries expanded by 1,696 tons to 4,610 tons in 2022. This performance, Mr. Speaker, of the regional market benefited from the diversion of bananas, typically consigned to the UK, to neighboring countries. The most pronounced increase was recorded in exports to Barbados, which rose from 925 tons in 2021 to 1,919 tons. Notable, Mr. Speaker, growth in exports also recorded for Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda, which expanded by 93.9% to 1,272 tons and 23.7% to 1,188 tons, respectively. These developments, Mr. Speaker, reflected the continued efforts by the National Fair Trade and the Government of St. Lucia to maintain and explore export opportunities within the region. However, there was a decrease of 139.5 tons in banana exports to St. Kitts and Nevis. Very concerned, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the overall performance in the banana industry in 2022 was as a substantial decline of 69.6% in exports to the United Kingdom, which brought the total tons down to only 505, Mr. Speaker. Export to the UK recommends in May 2022, Mr. Speaker, but then it was temporarily discontinued in October 2022. This suspension, Mr. Speaker, was partly on account of the substantial rise in shipping costs and other issues regarding right-wing facilities which adversely affected the viability of the banana tree. Mr. Speaker, moreover, the decline in plant health due to the infrequent application of fertilizers led to food quality concerns by UK supermarket buyers. Reduced confidence due to uncertainty surrounding this market contributed to a reduction in the number of farmers involved in exporting bananas to the UK. As a result of the weak export performance, there was a corresponding decline in UK banana exports revenue by 68.6% to 1 million in 2022. Mr. Speaker, the available data from the Economic and Social Review, 2022 page 27, free-showed that, and I quote, the combined domestic banana purchases by supermarkets and hotels increased from 1,335, 45 tons to 1,478 tons in 2022, led by a sizable growth in hotel sales. And Mr. Speaker, you recall last year when our Prime Minister encouraged our locals to consume bananas, Mr. Speaker, some sectors, some sections of the populace, Mr. Speaker, tried to ridicule him. But we have seen a drastic improvement, Mr. Speaker, from the time that coal was made in local consumption of our bananas. And I want to appeal to our populace, Mr. Speaker, to continue making a banana part of your diet on a day-to-day. Mirroring the ongoing recovery in state-over-tourism, the quantity of banana sold to hotels rose by 64.3% to 180 tons in 2022, remaining 25.4% below 2019 levels. After declining in the previous two years, Mr. Speaker, supermarket purchases of bananas also increased in 2022 by 5.0% to 1,297 tons, generating $2.7 million in revenue. Although with hotel sales, revenue amounting to $0.5 million from these domestic banana sales rose by 10.6% to 3.2 million in 2022. Mr. Speaker, this government has sought to arrest the decline in production and productivity of the banana industry by engaging in a series of initiatives. More specifically, to combat the high cost of production, efforts at resuscitating the banana industry recently included a total of 9,000 bags of fertilizer given to active banana farmers at a subsidy of 30%. Mr. Speaker, 9,000 bags of fertilizer, Mr. Speaker, given to our banana farmers. Mr. Speaker, I want to inform our banana farmers, our plantain farmers, our vegetable farmers, that our government is concerned about the challenges that they face and we are making our efforts once funding or revenue allows it for us to continue to provide that level of support to our farmers. Mr. Speaker, the intervention was mainly driven by the alarmingly high increase in the cost of fertilizer in 2020, where a 115% increase was experienced on the 50 kg bag of fertilizer and 110% increase on the 25 kg bag of fertilizer. This initiative, Mr. Speaker, approved by the cabinet of ministers, took place during the following period, September 14th to December 21st and January 10th to March 2023. More recently, that government by a banana farmer had 9,000 bags of fertilizer. And that started in September last year and we continued in January last year. We know how much fertilizer is needed and how much fertilizer is needed and how much quality production is needed. And I want to say that the government is concerned about the challenges that our farmers are facing to where key that new hand production was in who ensure that new hand regional market like Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we came into office a few months after we saw the closure of the BPIP in March 2022, Mr. Speaker. And immediately, Mr. Speaker, my government, my ministry established a banana management unit and this unit was specifically established to address the black Sikotoka problem that in the banana industry, Mr. Speaker, and we have black Sikotoka, we have a spot there, we have a good one, we have a two-year-old problem which is the quality figure. And Mr. Speaker, in the 2022-2023 budget a total of 950,000 was allocated to this unit to address the banana and black Sikotoka problem. This year, Mr. Speaker, well, last year, Mr. Speaker, 2022, we provided support to our farmers in terms of mineral oil and fungicides, no bi-farmers, Lula-free AP, Nukwesa, Bombagai, Puideo, Pudui, Quality Figland Museum. Mr. Speaker, this year, we got an allocation of one million dollars to support the banana unit. And as a result, Mr. Speaker, it has given us an opportunity, sorry, to increase our staff by three more. We are going to put or encourage more of the staff to spend more time in the field, Mr. Speaker, to engage our farmers, to advise our farmers, to provide the technical support our farmers need to ensure that we maintain the quality and production level in the region. Mr. Speaker, in terms of our food and nutrition security policy, Mr. Speaker, our ministry has put together a draft food and nutrition security policy and action plan. And that is hoped. We hope Mr. Speaker will help us address our food security concerns because Mr. Speaker, Carrickham has established that 25 by 25, which really represents reduction of our food import bill by 25% in 2025. I'm hoping that St. Lucia will be part of this plan in helping to meet this target established by Carrickham. Mr. Speaker, that takes me to the fisheries sector, Mr. Speaker. Another sector that is very, very important in terms of our food nutrition and security, Mr. Speaker. The fisheries sector continues to play a major role in our food and nutrition security strategy. Despite the rise in the domestic retail price of fuel occasioned by higher imported prices, which contributed to a 0.6% reduction in fishing trips to 27, there was an overall positive out turn in the fishing sector in 2022. Available data for 2022, Mr. Speaker, showed that an aggregate volume of wild marine capture rose by 4.3% to 1,442 tons following growth of 8.9% in 2021. The estimated fishing efforts, tons per trip continued on an upward trend, expanding by 8.6% in 2022. The landings of wild marine capture increased for the majority of species in 2022. Contributing to this output level was the increase in landings for other species, which rose from 700 tons in 2021 to 746.9 tons in 2022. Increases were also recorded in the highly demanded dolphin and tuna species, Mr. Speaker, which rose by 4.4% and 2.2% respectively. The positive outcome from was influenced by an improvement in the climatic conditions coupled with a reduction in the amount of sugar some seaweed in the ocean. The combined value of landings of wild marine capture grew by 17.9% to $26.1 million in 2022 due to the higher volumes and unit prices. The selling price of fish was raised in response to the increase in inputs caused particularly fuel. And Mr. Speaker, when I heard the announcement that our fishers, registered fishers will be getting, sorry, Mr. Speaker, a bit of $1, Mr. Speaker, that night I felt very good, Mr. Speaker, and up to now I am feeling that level of happiness and the benefits to be derived by our fishers. Mr. Speaker, the government of St. Lucia's contracted DD cell St. Lucia Limited to supply 300 marine satellite tracking units for fishing vessels to provide tracking services for our fishers. Mr. Speaker, the installation of these devices have begun and so far we have installed 52 of these devices on vessels in View Fort and Savins Bay. We will continue efforts, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we cover all fishers' communities, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that all our registered vessels are equipped with this device. We've already done that government St. Lucini 300 devices put on the boat. I think if we were on the map, we would be able to see the system, and we would be able to locate exactly where we are. We would be able to see where the fishers live, if they pass by. And if we had the device here, we would be able to see where the fishers live. We would be able to see all the fishers, in Rosile, in Dennerie, in View Fort, in Slaue, Sofia, Tupatu, to point this opportunity here, to put the device here, and we would be able to do that. Because if we were on the map, we would be able to see where the fishers live, to inform the people of the location, and to make it easier for them to locate the fishers and to make it easier for them to locate the fishers. I think if we were on the map, we would be able to see where the fishers live. And if we were on the map, we would be able to locate the fishers. So we would be able to see where the fishers live. And that's what I think that people would be able to see. The fishers live here. The fishers live here. I don't know how to play, I don't know how to play, except for the fishers who escaped. Mr. Speaker, the FAD program, Mr. Speaker, is continuing, Mr. Speaker, and so far we have given FAD material to the fishers in Souffre, Vuefort, and then we, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the allocation made by our Prime Minister for another six FADs, Mr. Speaker, that would be given to Grozile, to Ansleray, Mr. Speaker. And we are hoping that these FADs, Mr. Speaker, will provide an opportunity for our farmers to reduce on the cost in terms of fuel. But we will be able to sail out at sea and be able to continue to earn a living from fishing, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move now to the cocoa and seamos sub-sector, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as mentioned in the Appropriations Bill by the Prime Minister, value added for cocoa and seamos, Mr. Speaker, is very, very vital and important for the development of our economy, Mr. Speaker. And more significantly, for the impact, the livelihood and income-generating activity for the rural communities. Mr. Speaker, an allocation of 1.4 million dollars was made available to my ministry to produce, to enhance the cocoa sector, Mr. Speaker, and to give support to our cocoa farmers by provision of fertilizer, provision of plant-planting material, Mr. Speaker, and general rehabilitation of existing plantations. Mr. Speaker, I'm hoping that we will be able to provide those plant-in material as soon as possible to farmers and so far, all efforts are being made for us to make this happen and to ensure farmers can benefit from that. Mr. Speaker, I now turn to the Regenovation of the Epiculture sub-sector, which has been ongoing in St. Lucia since 2012, led by the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Program, which is implemented by the United Nations Development Program, Jeff Small Grants, UNDP, with contributions and in partnership with the St. Lucia National Conservation Fund, the Intel American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture, the Japanese International Corporation Agency, the IANOLA Epiculture Collective under the supervision of my ministry. I'm pleased, therefore, to report that because of the significant strides made in St. Lucia in the science of epiculture in the last 10 years, Mr. Speaker, our country is slowly emerging as a center of excellence for epiculture in the Eastern Caribbean. As part of the evolution of this sub-sector, Mr. Speaker, St. Lucia will be convening the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the OECS this year, tentatively scheduled for the end of October and November. This meeting of my colleague ministers, Mr. Speaker, has been made possible through the convening powers of the OECS Secretariat and the technical and financial power of the Jeff Small Grants, UNDP, EECA, FAO and other agencies, Mr. Speaker, that Jeff Small Grants will contribute in excess of $68,000, Mr. Speaker, to representing 49.25% of the budget with commitments from the other partners to cover the remaining 50.25%. The purpose of that meeting, Mr. Speaker, is to present to the ministers a modern policy for epiculture in the OECS, along with a two-year work plan for approval. Like many other Caribbean, like many other primary crops produced in the history of the Caribbean, there are external threats, Mr. Speaker, looming on the horizon, which, if unchecked, and managed could pose existential threats to the industry. One such threat, Mr. Speaker, one such threat, Mr. Speaker, is the increasing export of fake honey globally. Mr. Speaker, fake export of honey, Mr. Speaker, if we have a good honey, we can continue to produce good honey. If we can produce a lot of honey, and produce 100% of our honey, if we can make the position right, and we can buy it, let it be, let it be produced in the honey, so that it can be produced in the honey. So, Mr. Speaker, I want to call on our honey producers to continue to produce a top-quality product, Mr. Speaker. We are just like CMOS, Mr. Speaker. I had the opportunity to provide full export, St. Lucia, last week, Mr. Speaker, 60 drying tables for the CMOS, Mr. Speaker. Because, Mr. Speaker, we understand the importance of that sub-sector. Our CMOS is one of the best in St. Lucia, and in the world, Mr. Speaker, sorry, in the world, Mr. Speaker, thank you, colleagues. In the world, Mr. Speaker, one of the best in the world, and Mr. Speaker, and we must ensure that we continue to maintain that standard, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been tremendous focus on the raw material, Mr. Speaker, but value added is critically important. Mr. Speaker, I see my time is getting close, and I just want to mention under the Seven Crops Program, Mr. Speaker, we supported farmers in this first quarter of 2023 by making available 122 seedlings at a cost of 20 cents per seedling, Mr. Speaker, to our farmers as a way of giving support for food security. 25,000 tomato seedlings, Mr. Speaker, was made available, 14,000 cabbage, 12,800 lettuce, 17,000 bell peppers, Mr. Speaker, 29,000 watermelon seedlings, 14,000 only due seedlings, Mr. Speaker, 10,470 cantaloupes. So, Mr. Speaker, in an effort to reduce our food import bill, Mr. Speaker, we are making it at the bill level. Mr. Speaker, under the Seven Crops Program, Mr. Speaker, we made available to our farmers 16 hoop greenhouses, 252 rows of drip lines at $450 per drip line, Mr. Speaker, 609 bags of peat moss, 500 plus bags of fertilizer at a cost of $50 per bag, Mr. Speaker, and we continue to give the support to the farmers to ensure that we can relieve them of the challenges that they face and to encourage them to continue to produce. Under that program, Mr. Speaker, we also did training in composting, crop varietal trials, mechanization, irrigation, agro-processing, iFarm, app and management, mushrooms, and so on, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the ministry has been undertaking a number of projects, Mr. Speaker, and I do not have the time to be able to highlight all of them at this time. But I want to go to a very special agency, Mr. Speaker, that I worked for 44 years before becoming a politician. And that is Forest and Lands Department, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I must mention that we have a project in the Souffre Water Shed, Mr. Speaker. It's called the IWUCO project funded by the Jeff in a tune of $729,685, Mr. Speaker. The project aims to address the problems of land and ecosystem degradation in the upper reaches of the Souffre Water Shed. Mr. Speaker, to date, 120 farmers have had rehabilitation work done on the farms, totaling 25 hectares of farmland. So far, we've established a community nursery to provide planting materials to our farmers. The Forestry Division has been working very closely with the Forestry Development Committee, Mr. Speaker, in terms of management of an agro-tourism park. And, Mr. Speaker, I just got some information this morning, Mr. Speaker, having completed an MOU between the Government of St. Lucia and the Forestry Development Committee, Mr. Speaker, that a tune in an amount of $126,000 was made available to the Forestry Development Committee by the Jeff, Mr. Speaker. And another $1,171,000, Mr. Speaker, EC was also made available to the committee. We are hoping that the Forestry Development Committee will make very good use of this funds, Mr. Speaker, and to make that transformation that is needed in the Forestry Water Shed. Mr. Speaker, there is also a riverbank project funded by the FAO, Mr. Speaker, to the tune of $293,000, and it is really aimed at rehabilitation of our riverbounds. Mr. Speaker, we still see farmers and other residents, Mr. Speaker, removing unnecessary indiscriminate vegetation along our rivers, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have 47 rivers on the island, Mr. Speaker, and we must remember that we do not depend, we do not get underground water, Mr. Speaker, or water is surface water, Mr. Speaker, and I want to appeal to our farmers and other residents that we must continue to protect the banks of our rivers, Mr. Speaker. To have a better effect on Aslaway, that is the country's river, Mr. Speaker, the answer of your, Mr. Speaker, and I call on the member for Ancillary Countries, Mr. Speaker, to continue educating and sensitizing his constituents, Mr. Speaker, on the value and importance of protecting the river. Member for Dennery Salty, we have 10 minutes left. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we also have a soils project where nine countries are involved and it is a project in the tune of 8.1 million U.S. dollars, Mr. Speaker, and the main aim of the original project is to strengthen Caribbean small island developing states with the necessary tools for adopting policies, measures, and reforming legal and institutional frameworks to achieve land degradation neutrality. Mr. Speaker, St. Lucia is one of those projects and we are hoping that we can update our soils database. Our soils map was established one year after I was born, that was 1996, Mr. Speaker, and 1966, sorry. 1963, Mr. Speaker. And because of numerous events that have taken place, there is an urgent need for us to reassess and to be able to get new soils information that would help us in terms of meeting our land degradation neutrality needs on the goal 15, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have 10 minutes left and I would not be happy to end my presentation without going to my constituency, Mr. Speaker. And I want to take time to say a big thank you to my constituents of Denver South for vesting their confidence and trusting me as the MP. Mr. Speaker, we know the flooding in the village continues, Mr. Speaker, and just Sunday after an hour and 15 minutes of consistent rain, Mr. Speaker, there was some flooding in the constituency. I know people like Lauren and Lina and the Rydons and people like Zia, Mr. Speaker, they have always been concerned about Mr. Speaker and we are working towards ensuring that we can relieve them of that pressure, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the upgrade to the Saturday Night Fish in Fiesta, Mr. Speaker, it is an activity that was established in 1999 and, Mr. Speaker, the spin-off effect has been tremendous for our vendors, for our fishers, for our supermarket owners, Mr. Speaker. And I'm happy that under the Community Tourism Project, Mr. Speaker, a sum will be made available for us to upgrade the facility and to put it at the level that it should to ensure consistency and a standard that would encourage people to come in and participate and contribute towards the development of the constituency. The repairs to the fishing and fisheries port, Mr. Speaker, is ongoing. And I know, based on what was in the budget for 2023, we have to do some repairs to the fisheries facility and my good friend from Miku North, I want to guarantee him that from those funds, some level of support will be given to the fishers of Miku, as well as Vuefort, Rosilly and Slurry. And I'm hoping that we will be able to bring some relief to our fishers in terms of providing the necessary infrastructure that they need to be able to continue their life and see. Mr. Speaker, under the CDP Projects, Mr. Speaker, we had a number of infrastructure projects, Mr. Speaker, in Lakai, Lume, Denver, Mr. Speaker. And one of them, Mr. Speaker, is the refurbishment of the Lakai Deke, Mr. Speaker. This, Mr. Speaker, had not received this facility or building, Mr. Speaker, had not received any level of attention for more than 15 years, Mr. Speaker. And now, if you walk by, Mr. Speaker, you will see a sparkling and well-upgraded and refurbished building, which will make life more comfortable for our students and kids. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the Denver football field, I'm hoping that my discussion with the member for Rosilly will come to a reality, Mr. Speaker, and we will provide sitting accommodation for persons who come to the playing field to watch football cricket, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the outing assistance in Denver, so I will continue, and I'm hoping that when our next allocation is made available in Nukai, and I was told next week, Nukai code. We will continue to provide support to our constituents, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to provide the educational support, the burial assistance, Mr. Speaker, under our CDP. And Mr. Speaker, I want to say a big thank you to my government and the cabinet, because the flow bundle is doing very well in our constituency, Mr. Speaker. A number of persons have been connected now, although it was slow in recent months, Mr. Speaker, but the flow bundle is really, really tremendous help and support to our needy persons in the community, and we are hoping that this program will continue so our children, our single mothers, our unemployed mothers, Mr. Speaker. And I want to take the opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to thank flow in a big way for the support to our government and people of St. Boucher. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to say a big thank you to my cabinet of ministers for the support, and I know this support will continue, Mr. Speaker, because the agricultural sector is big and very, very critical to us in terms of meeting our food security. I want to thank my PS, my deputy PS, and staff of my ministry for the hard work, Mr. Speaker. But I also want to take time to say, in spite of the hard work, I want to appeal to them, Mr. Speaker, that there is a lot we can do. Let's come together and implement our projects in a much quicker way or much faster, Mr. Speaker, so we can achieve a lot more at the end of the day. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my constituents. I want to thank my council, Mr. Speaker, my all the stakeholders, the banana farmers, Mr. Speaker, the vegetable farmers, Mr. Speaker, the fishes, Mr. Speaker, the livestock farmers and everyone in the sector, Mr. Speaker, to understand that we are going through challenges but whatever our government can do, whatever our government, our cabinet can do, we will continue to provide the support that is needed to ensure that our food security is on par and we can continue to survive by growing what we eat and eating what we grow. Mr. Speaker, thanks for giving me that opportunity to address my ministry and my constituents, constituency, Mr. Speaker. And I want to wish my other colleagues the best for that bit of the Appropriations Bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.