 Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Natural Resources and Corporates, Hon. Ezekiel Joseph, says efforts at diversifying the agriculture industry include creating a vibrant apiculture that incorporates the value-added chain of agroprocessing. Hon. Joseph shared the plan as the global environment facility pledged its support to these efforts. The Global Environment Facility Jeff Small Grant's program UNDP at the opening ceremony of its 2020-2021 Knowledge Fair and the UEE Open Campus Country Conference disclosed that its focus for the next four years would be geared towards upscaling in three key areas. One such area is that of apiculture. The goal is to increase production to include value-added products and gain economies of scale. The Jeff between October 2012 and December 2019 invested in 12 apiculture projects to a tune of $1.22 million in St. Lucia. Agriculture Minister Hon. Ezekiel Joseph explained the government's intention to make apiculture a full-fledged industry. He noted however that it is not without its challenges. Apiculture in St. Lucia has tremendous potential and it has been reported that the demand for products is greater than supply. In addition to the work that has been done with the assistance from the Small Grant program, my government has retrofitted a sector of the Inland Reception and Distribution Center IRDC in Larkai, January and purchased equipment for that facility. This would assist with the processing and packaging of honey and of course this is going to result in a sustainable supply and consistency in quality. There are still many challenges in this sub-sector. For example, honey production is seasonal. The size of our production units are very small. The level of fragmentation within the sector is affecting it and there is a need for improved technology. Managing our pace and disease is critical and of course managing the impact of climate change must be given serious consideration. Richard Mathias, president of Ionola Apiculture Collective, highlighted the variety of products that can be produced from apiculture. Mathias indicated that some products include beeswax for use in cosmetics, scented candles, propellants and more which he explained can fetch a hefty price on the international market. This four grams of raw apitoxin unprocessed is worth about $380. If we process it, we'll probably be looking at about $150 per gram. That took me just over an hour to collect this. We are now diversified our portfolio of products so that we are no longer relying on this product. If there is no honey, we probably make more money selling all these other products than what is not even dependent, depriving the bees of the food they store for them to get them through the season. Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development Honourable Dr Gail Rigabet encouraged the inclusion to lead the charge developing innovations for sustainable future. So our nation needs to assume its rightful place and do more to inform the science of today which is an important precursor to tomorrow's science and the outputs therefrom creating new bodies of knowledge. Our curiosity and actions need to provoke answers to the questions that be set us. But where are the scientists, inventors and innovators of today? Where are the novel and groundbreaking luminaries of St. Lucia leading the way in all of the sciences? They are here in this room and following on social media. And therefore today we set a sail on a five-month journey of deliberate actions for research and innovation. The opening ceremony was held on a Sunday 22nd November 2020.