The New Democratic Party (NDP) has recognized agriculture as a fundamental pillar of economic development. However, the party has also acknowledged that a significant challenge faced by farmers is the lack of accessible markets for their produce. Immediately after being voted into office, the NDP has begun to take proactive steps to address this issue.
The following are excerpts of Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Israel Bruce’s presentation at a recent Press Conference: I journeyed to California as part of a market and trade mission. I had a series of meetings. Essentially, the mission was to seek out opportunities for dasheen producers and hot pepper producers in St Vincent and the Grenadines, seeking out market for the farmers. And this should come as no surprise to anyone because if you recall, principally during the 2025 campaign, as the Shadow Minister for Agriculture, I consistently said that one of the things we’ll be doing early in this administration once elected, is that we’ll be vigorously pursuing markets for our farmers.
We have been keeping our commitment to the farmers of this country. As I speak to you, I have with me in my hand here, a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in California, United States of America. This one is signed between the government of St. Vincent and Grenadines, Happy Produce Global LLC and Quantum Inc.
This MOU was signed on behalf of the government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Ministry of Agriculture, my good self, on behalf of Happy Produce Global LLC, signed by Mr. Miguel Francis, and on behalf of Quantum Inc., Mr. Jacques Nack. What this MOU does is that it sets the framework for the purchase of dasheen from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. So that dasheen farmers in St. Vincent could become a little more at ease that wider opportunities are being made available for them to sell their food.
I am not ignorant to what is happening on the ground. A few weeks ago, I read a Facebook posting where someone suggested that the price of dasheen was going to the dogs and it seems that the Minister of Agriculture isn’t doing anything about it; quite contrary to what the fact is. We have been working as a ministry with ECTAD to see how we can facilitate the work of ECTAD to have dasheen being shipped into the United Kingdom and into France. The France shipment suffered some problems. The government has taken the responsibility to work with ECTAD to resolve those problems so that particular market opportunity is not lost. So what we’re doing here is a bit of triangulation.
Markets in United Kingdom for dasheen, markets in France for dasheen. Now we are seeking to open up opportunities for markets for dasheen in United States of America. Anybody who followed the dasheen production here in St. Vincent would recognize that there is a vast amount of lands that is currently been on dashing cultivation. And all these market opportunities will all go well for the dasheen farmers in this country.
This is a memorandum of understanding. I realize over the last week and a half, some people may have gotten bent, out of shape because they may not have fully grasped the difference between an MOU and a contract. This is an MOU. The next stage is that the company, Happy Produce Global LLC, will sign a contract with whoever or whatever comes in the form of the purchasing agent on the ground for the dasheen from the farmers across the country. So there will be a contract between whoever that entity is or whatever that entity is and Happy Produce Global LLC.
I believe that the agent on the ground will be advised and encouraged to enter into maybe agreements with farmers if it is going from planting to reaping. And the question may very well be asked why? Because what you want is consistency in the marketplace. A supermarket in Los Angeles that has agreed to purchase dasheen from St. Vincent through the agent, let’s say Happy Produce Global, don’t want to have dasheen on their shelves for a period of time and the next period their shelves are empty. So that where farmers agree that they are going to buy into this marketplace, they may very well be asked to sign contractual agreements. They may be provided with assistance in their planting, their cleaning, in their harvesting, so that you are committed to sell your final product to Happy Produce Global LLC.
As I said, the contracts have not been drawn up. We have not seen those as yet. I am told that hopefully by next week, there should be the first draft of the contract for dasheen, because that’s the first one that’s going to roll out the purchase of dasheen. So once the contract is on the ground, the agent on the ground, whoever, whatever it is, will start making announcements publicly to say to farmers, do you have dasheen. We want to buy your dasheen.
One of the things I want to say is this. I have heard all the cry about the cost, how much the farmers are being paid for the dasheen. And the price I got was like as low as $40 per sack. I am happy to say that the discussion that I had in the USA, I have made it abundantly clear that our farmers will not be subjected to selling their dasheen at anything less than $100 EC per sack. So, you’re from $40 per sack what you’re getting now to a minimum, I’m not saying it can’t go above, a minimum of $100 EC per sack. That is 150 % more than what currently exists.