 Welcome to the NTN Nightly. I'm Nisha Charles. This edition's top stories. Banana Farmers are urged to play their part in ensuring the success of government efforts at securing new markets for the industry. ECLAC supports the development of the national gender policy for St. Lucia. The NCPC talks productivity at the AG's chambers, all that plus the latest in youth development, sports and the NTN Nouvelle en Cuellon. The government of St. Lucia has received a nod of approval from an integral social partner for its efforts in securing new markets for the banana sector. The National Workers Union, the NWU, in an issued statement this week, applauded the government delegation that travelled recently to the United Kingdom in search of new markets for St. Lucia bananas. The trip culminated in some major wins for the banana sector. However, farmers are being encouraged to play their part in ensuring the success. Operations Manager of the National Fair Trade Organization Stephen Bess says that consistency is key and even while the Agriculture Ministry and by extension the government of St. Lucia employs strategies to effectively bolster economic activity within the banana industry, farmers themselves must ensure that they are consistent with their supply and quality of bananas for export. And this is something that is all well and good for the government to do its part and first to advocate quality and high standards. But the farmers must act in accord with the message that is sent out there. Because in the market, first, people look at the aesthetics of the fruit. It is not a matter of saying that our fruit is sweeter, it's of maybe a superior quality, all this may be so. But in this continuum, testing is the last thing. First, the consumer look at the commodity and if it is appealing to the eye, they are going to gravitate towards it. Granted, once they have tested and in accord with the programme of the government, the determination to brand and so on and make this a unique product, yes. So our farmers now have to respond accordingly. Mr. Best Furde explains that once farmers respond in kind to the efforts being made by agriculture leaders in attaining and sustaining new markets, the entire country stand to reap the benefits under this plan. They have to follow through in producing quality bananas. Now, if they are producing quality bananas, it strengthens the hands of everyone, the government, the officers out there promoting production and productivity by doing their part. And it is to their benefit also because they are able to consistently market the commodity once it is of the standard that the market requires. Coordinate of the Banana Productivity Improvement Project, Mr Furde Severin says that his programme's activities will continue to strategically address areas and concerns which could adversely impact productivity within the sub-sector. There are a number of initiatives which we are now undertaking to ensure not only increasing production but also increasing productivity. And we have seen changes in productivity in some of the key banana growing areas. So yes, for the consistency of supply, for example, we look at irrigation this year. Our agronomic practices, the best practices which the farmers have to employ in order to get to maximise whatever resource they are going to employ that we are working closely with the farming community to get. So I am confident that the target which we have set will be achieved maybe sooner than we anticipated. This year, the Banana Productivity Improvement Project has also remarked about 300 acres of land to come into new banana production. From the information unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Amanda Fe Clark reporting. The Government of St. Lucia has received technical assistance from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ECLAC to support the development of the National Gender Policy Statement and Strategy and the management of gender data in St. Lucia. The multi-video strategy for implementation of the regional gender agenda within the Sustainable Development Framework by 2030 and the 25th review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action requests that governments adopt and implement policies, laws and strategies to promote gender equality in the rights of all women and girls as well as to select, compile, integrate, process, analyse and disseminate gender data and statistics to identify progress made and challenges that remain in addressing gender inequalities. With the help of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ECLAC the Department of Gender Relations recently held two workshops to help in these processes Acting Director of Gender Relations Janie Joseph explained the importance of data analytics in policy formation. It's easy for us to just have a perception and sometimes those perceptions are not necessarily grounded in the reality especially those perceptions are very popular in other parts of the world right So we need to be able to generate our own data to be able now to speak to the reality In addition to that we can monitor the progress of St. Lucia We signed on to various treaties, we signed on to CEDAW We're implementing the Beijing Platform for Action We're implementing the multi-video strategy We want to be able to speak to the progress of St. Lucia in the implementation of these instruments and the only way that we can do so is to monitor certain indicators and to provide the relevant data According to ECLAC's Associate Social Affairs Officer Lydia Rosa Janie the technical assistance activities will improve the resource capacity of the Department of Gender Relations and specifically contribute to assist the Government of St. Lucia in mainstreaming gender in national planning, policies and data and by doing so help the country to meet its commitments to the regional gender agenda and related frameworks So we received this list of requests from the Government of St. Lucia and we did an exercise of prioritization and so we decided to start with assessing the situation on gender data management so the production, dissemination and the management of gender data in the country as well as how we can support the Government with the development of their national gender equality policy statement and strategy which is the first step for their national gender equality policy St. Lucia will present for the first time its voluntary national review on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2019 under the theme of empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, the NCPC, at the invitation of the Attorney General's chambers recently delivered a presentation on productivity as part of their monthly enhancement activities for management staff Glenn Simon has the details Building awareness of the issues related to productivity and competitiveness is the core mandate of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, NCPC so said the director of the NCPC Fiona Hinkson during a presentation on productivity at the Attorney General's chambers earlier this week When we got the request to visit the Attorney General's chambers as part of the public service we jumped on the opportunity because we felt that every agency need to be able to speak to issues of productivity and the Agents' chambers is very important in terms of the role in pushing the regulatory framework for economic growth and economic development in St. Lucia The mission of the Attorney General's chambers is to deliver quality legal services in a timely manner to the Government of St. Lucia with integrity and professionalism while focusing on facilitating an enabling environment creating value and effective advice through the Registry of Companies and Intellectual Property the Legislative Drafting Unit and the Advice and Litigation Department Acting Registrar for the Registry of Companies and Intellectual Property, Closel Chris said the department plans to pay greater attention to measuring its productivity Modernarily, persons normally tend to say that the Government agencies are not producing at the level that they ought to be producing at so as Attorney General's chambers it's important for us to know what the gaps might be in terms of the way we do things how much we are producing, how much more can we produce and how more effectively we can assist the public in our whole operation The AG's chambers through the Legislative Drafting Unit prepares the legislation to enhance the business environment and ease of doing business climate in St. Lucia Director for the Legislative Drafting Unit, Gillian Vidal Jules said despite the many external constraints which impact the delivery of outputs measuring the unit's productivity is extremely important Before the presentation was done there were some questions in my mind that I had in terms of presenting status of work reports to show the level of productivity of the Legislative Drafting Unit so it was very helpful The Director of the NCPC stated that her unit is actively seeking to develop a tool to measure productivity in the public service which accounts for over 12% of St Lucia's labour force For the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Glenn Simon reporting And this is the NTN Nightly, Brian O'Brien is up next The problem starts with finding a suitable spot It extends to double parking Offloading zones are ignored thus inconveniencing commercial activity Handicapped spots are occupied by drivers who use the quick errand excuse And of course there's the constant fear of parking tickets In an effort to curb these and other parking related issues, the Castery City Council will be implementing short term paid parking $3 an hour can save you $500 in parking tickets Short term paid parking, coming soon Welcome back, we join Ryan O'Brien for the latest happenings in youth development and sports Thanks Nisha Welcome once again to your update from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on the NTN Nightly News I'm Ryan O'Brien One match was played Tuesday as the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports secondary school under 1540 overs cricket tournament continued At the PI playing field, Souffre Comprehensive Secondary enjoyed a well earned 69 run victory over Vierford Comprehensive Secondary Souffre Comprehensive batting first made 212 all out in 28.4 overs with Wooner Islands under 15 player Kevin Gasey top scoring with a well played innings of 94 and Zidane Rages making 25 Balling for Vierford Comprehensive David Natrium back 4443 and Hansi Mason 2 for 46 In reply Vierford Comprehensive could only manage 143 all out in 32.4 overs with David Natrium making 43 and Hansi Mason 15 Balling for Souffre Comprehensive John Modess back 4442 and Raheem Hippolit 3 for 26 News on the Youth Empowerment Project as it looks to wrap up its first major program that of the logo competition which helps strengthen its base for further programming under the project The judging panel is expected to meet Thursday to determine who the actual winners of the competition will be The project has also embarked on some procurement notices for the different programs being undertaken by the project This is in an effort to get the core team in place for the various programs targeted Baseline studies will also be carried out in the various communities under consideration for the program to collect data on the areas being offered Officials say these field officers will receive training as early as next month to ensure they extract what are the priorities of persons who are the intended targets of the programs And in that item on the continued work of the Youth Empowerment Project we have concluded our segment on new developments and sports for today I'm Ryan O'Brien Thanks Ryan The National Conservation Authority, the NCA, with collaborative effort from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Corporatives The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment and the National Apprenticeship Program will be conducting training exercises targeting 120 individuals on the proper method of handling sargassum seaweed for manufacturing as well as for disposal These trainees are residents of four communities adversely impacted by the influx of the sargassum, namely Denry, Prahle, Miku and Viefo The training exercise aims to prepare these individuals to participate in the implementation phase designed to last for nine months in the first instance The NCA continues to work closely with Algas Organics, a local entity involved in converting sargassum into value-added products by providing the company with over 160,000 pounds of sargassum This sargassum project will not only create employment for residents in the targeted communities, but also ensure that these communities do not continue to be affected by the large influx of the seaweed And stay with the NTA nightly, up next, Primus Hutchinson is here with the NTA, Nouvella Cueo If you have to do your own spray mix for Black Sigotoka treatment, always follow the recommended safety procedures Always wear protective gear when handling or being exposed to the fungicide or other pesticides Use only the fungicide recommended by the Black Sigotoka Management Unit when the treatment is due The required quantity of the particular fungicide recommended must be mixed with spray oil and applied at a rate of 1.5 to 2 gallons per acre Fungicides which are not recommended or applied at the wrong time or even when the spray treatment is not done effectively can cause the fungus to become resistant to the chemical and therefore may no longer control the disease Oil fungicide mix which has been stored for too long should not be used to treat Black Sigotoka disease If carried out, such treatments may not be effective and can lead to poor control of the disease Remember, before each chemical treatment for Black Sigotoka disease on your farm, first the oil fungicide mix must be re-agitated immediately before application For more information on how to treat and control Black Sigotoka on your farm or in your backyard garden Contact the Black Sigotoka Management Unit at 4515491 4515894 or email bpmu at candw.lc This message is brought to you by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the International Cooperation and Development Fund of the Republic of China on Taiwan Welcome back, we join Primus Hutchinson for the NTN Nouvelle-Arcueille We will be here to improve the life of the people of this country We will be here to build, to achieve equiability, diverse facilities in the whole country The work that we have done is to control the water, to build a channel, to stimulate the environment, to encourage schools and schools to provide good benefits for the people here The government of the Republic of China, Taiwan, has already financed the program. Also for the second phase of the year 2008 and the first phase of the year 2019. Ambassador Douglas Chen said that at the beginning of the year, it financed more than 2,400 jobs, which already financed more than 26,000 jobs. The Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, said that the government has already financed more than 25,000 jobs. The Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, has already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Ambassador Chen Asimanslaki, who has already financed more than 26,000 jobs. Ambassador Chen said that the government has already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph, which already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph, who has already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph, who has already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph. The Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, said that the government has already financed more than 26,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph, which already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph. The Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, has already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph. The Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, said that the Government has already financed more than 45,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph, which already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph. The Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, said that the Ministry of Business and Economic Development, on behalf of Gaye Joseph, has already financed more than 25,000 jobs by Gaye Joseph. 6 animals in a pile eat the earth and disappear, at least 4 years. The Ministry of Health also advises citizens of this area to help and take advantage of the opportunity and engage in discussions to make the country more aware and more significant to preserve the land with this animal. Fondation for the Cultural Development of this area is also known as CDF, which is an activity of selection to represent the culture of the culture, such as Cary Fester. Cary Fester is a great show that is dedicated to this area, such as Cary Bula, which is also an exhibition of a diverse presentation of the culture that has provided a lot of performance. Cary Bula is an activity that is dedicated to the culture that is dedicated to the culture of the culture, such as music, folk music, theater literature, and so on. Director for the CDF Celeste Button has declared that Cary Fester will support the artists of Cary Bula to collaborate and provide good benefits and advance their culture. On the button, Cary Fester will present this opportunity to promote the culture of Cary Fester, which is also a meaningful event for the country. The Vencek artists who have the opportunity to present it will also benefit from the certification. Director of the Prodiction, Adrena Frederick, who has been working on this project for a long time, and has been working on it for a long time. We will have to select the artists of the first year. We will have to train them to go to the next stage. They will organize, they will come and see us. I am very happy with our success. I am very happy that we were able to do this. I am very happy that we are able to do this. I am very happy to be here. Thank you. of pale primers. And here's a look at what's happening to us weather-wise. We're experiencing partly cloudy skies, occasionally becoming cloudy, with widely scattered showers. Moisture and instability in the week of a tropical wave will cause some showery spells over the less Antalese during the forecast period. A tropical wave located over the central tropical Atlantic is moving westward, near 17 miles per hour, or 28 kilometers per hour. Tides for Castries Harbor, they were high at 12.31 p.m. and low at 6.10 p.m. Tides for V4 Bay, higher at 1.38 p.m. and low at 7.37 p.m. The seas slide to moderate with waves 3 to 6 feet or 0.9 to 1.8 meters. The sun will rise Thursday at 5.34 a.m. And that brings us to the end of the NT and Michael. Join us next time at 7 p.m. with a repeat at 7 a.m. You can also catch up with us anytime on the Saint-Russia government Facebook page or YouTube channel. I'm Nisha Trots.