 The Veterinary and Livestock Services Division has recognised the need to adequately address the requirements of producers in the apiculture sector and ultimately work towards holistic development of the sector. The division has collaborated with other sector agencies including JeffSGP-UNDP, the IANOLA Apiculture Collective, Export St. Lucia and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation and Agriculture to internally restructure the apiculture unit and provide training for stakeholders involved in the sector. The most recent training exercise is the National Workshop on Apiculture, which is aimed at developing an integrated apiculture industry in St. Lucia that promotes and protects natural ecosystems while also benefiting apiculturists, stakeholders and participating communities. Director of Agricultural Services, Dr. Aurea King-Snack, pledges the Department of Agriculture's commitment to continue collaborating with stakeholders to develop the sector. We also urge our partners to work collaboratively with our department as the success of this industry depends or demands that we work together. Building synergies, developing an excess of shared ideas and competencies and building capacity within our stakeholders. Today's exercise seeks to bring all our important partners and stakeholders together to discuss these items, gain more knowledge on the new and innovative methods in apiculture and build networks for the advancement of the sector. The Department of Agriculture again pledges its support to the Apiculture Centre. We look forward to working with all of you and are excited for what lies on the horizon for the future of the apiculture institution. The objectives of the National Workshop on Apiculture also include identifying new apiculture techniques that ensure the apiculture industry's optimization and sustainability as well as promoting the production of beehive products that meet national standards. National Program Coordinator of the Jeff SGP-UNDP Giles Romulus encourages the Apiculture Program participants to become more research-focused and innovative with the continuous introduction of new products into the market. That our farmers in rural parts of our Caribbean institution have always gotten a small bite of the pie, with the majority of the value added going to the metropose and the mother country and so on. I want to make an appeal to civilization in apiculture, this must not happen. The value added along that value chain must remain in civilization and our people must become the supporters, the developers of apiculture and civilization. Jeff is determined to do that and to invest in the capacity development of the people and government of civilization. So let's remember the history.