 As St. Lucia continues to build its resilience against pest introductions, a cadre of plant health professionals are undergoing training on economically important plant parasitic nematodes. Anisia Antoine tells us more. In the Caribbean region, pest incursions frequently threaten economic development, natural resources and the environment. In this regard, the Department of Agriculture has joined forces with the University of Florida, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, ICA, and the Caribbean Health Directors Forum to host a diagnostic training course on economically important plant parasitic nematodes. Nematodes can be described as microscopic soil pests that affect plants. The course aims to build the capacity of plant health technicians in basic diagnostic and surveillance techniques for nematodes. Director of Agricultural Services Dr. Aria King Snack says the training is timely as the Department of Agriculture recently opened the new diagnostic facility in Union. We are confident that this training will enhance the food security in St. Lucia as many of our major crops are susceptible to nematodes infestations. For example, the banana industry, which is our main export crop, has over the years battled with several species of nematodes causing topplings and reduction in yields. Fruits and vegetable production have also been affected both in open fields and productive structures. With the advent of globalization, it must be noted that trade and agriculture commodities have over the years increased our vulnerability to new pests and diseases, including nematodes. Timely identification and management of such is therefore critical in not only improving crop yield but also implementing good agricultural practices to minimize or eliminate the use of synthetic pesticides. Dr. King says the Department of Agriculture will continue to work closely with the Caribbean Health Director's Forum and the technical working groups with the aim of fully developing the field of nematology and improving diagnostics for the region. I am confident that this training exercise will sensitize laboratory technicians, agricultural officers, including our quarantine officers and crop protection officers in the areas of nematology and increase the enthusiasm for their field of study and hopefully that they may pursue at a higher level studies in nematology. It would provide us with the opportunity to identify and to act quickly at the ports of entry, hence limiting the possibility of establishment and spread. Our expectations are that by the end of this training, to carry out a nematophonus study of Senusia and to enhance our surveillance activities by providing critical data which is required for updating our national pest list. The diagnostic training course on economically important plant parasitic nematodes commenced on Tuesday, January 26th, 2021 and will culminate on Friday, January 29th, 2021. From the communications unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anisia Antoine reporting.