 The Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Taiwan Technical Mission, has officially launched the IFARM application. Anisi Antwan has the details. The Department of Agriculture for the past three years has been collaborating with the Taiwan Technical Mission on the enhancing of the efficiency of the production distribution supply chain in the fruit and vegetable sector project, also known as the Seven Crops Project, with the aim of reducing the food import bill. The most recent output of the Seven Crops Project is the IFARM application. The application aims to solve the long-standing challenges of accurate and timely data collection. It allows for the capturing of information on current crops of farmers and potential yield, the reporting of market data, and the production of reports on farmer produce in any geographic location island-wide. Ambassador of the Republic of China Taiwan, His Excellency Peter Shen, expressed hope that the IFARM app will assist in developing St Lucia's agriculture sector. The adoption of digital technologies in precision agriculture has been adjusting the ways that farmers grow their crops and manage fields. I'm privileged to witness this new chapter of agricultural collaboration between Taiwan and St Lucia by introducing this new integrated agriculture information system, IFARM. It is a sustainable, convenient, and transparent communication tool which connects the demand and the supply ends, such as able to expand market access and income of local farmers. I believe that this technology leap will bring significant benefits to St Lucia's through different aspects, even adapting to impacts of climate change and advancing food security. Extension officers island-wide recently received training on how to proficiently use the application. Regional head of Region 5, Francis Kojo, expressed gratitude to the governments of St Lucia and Taiwan for undertaking this initiative. They certainly invested much-needed resources ensuring the ARS app moved from dream to reality to practical usefulness. It is my hope that this app will be utilized meaningfully and strategically to further development agricultural sector, especially areas of vegetable production, and that accurate data can be collected for future programming that will renown to the benefit of farmers and our nation. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources, and Corporatives Honourable Ezekiel Joseph commended the Seven Crops project team on the success achieved to date. The minister encouraged officers to use the software effectively. That technology that we are launching here today should not be populated in the office. And I'm happy to hear our two extension officers speak about the need of inputting accurate information. Because by inputting accurate information, we will be in a position to make that determination as to how we provide licenses for the importation of crops. And that's important because when we agreed to implement the Seven Crop program, we made it clear that we would discontinue the issue of licenses if we have the production at the field level. The next step of the Seven Crops project is to provide training for farmers on how to efficiently use the IFAM application. From the information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anisia Antoine reporting.