St. George’s, November 9, 2009 (GIS) – Grenada is facing a bright future with “value’’ being added to agricultural crops and with the move to greater agro-processing in the country, Agriculture Minister Hon. Denis Lett has said.
Winfresh, a Windward Islands’ company, recently purchased the La Sagesse Farm in St. David to pulp, freeze and market the fruits of farmers from Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and Dominica.
One of the other major agro-processing businesses in Grenada is the privately owned chocolate factory in Hermitage, St. Patrick.
Mr. Lett said a St. Lucian company is soon expected to open an agro-processing plant at the Seamoon Industrial Estate in St. Andrew. The plant will process pepper sauce and other condiments.
“The future looks very, very bright for agro-processing in Grenada,’’ the Agriculture Minister said. “2010 has to be the year for added value to our crops. We are on the road to good things.’’
Mr. Lett said Winfresh – formerly the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company (WIBDECO) – has diversified from solely shipping bananas to the United Kingdom to marketing other fruits and vegetables, as well as agro-processing products.
Winfresh, whose shareholders include the four Windward governments, earns millions of dollars in revenue each year.
In purchasing the La Sagesse Farm, Winfresh will engage directly with Grenadian farmers. The company will provide loans to ensure the production of high quality fruits and vegetables. Contracts will also be signed with farmers, offering guaranteed prices for their produce.
Winfresh will be producing fruit juices at its La Sagesse plant. In addition, it will be supplying fruit flavours to an ice-cream factory in the U.K.
“What Winfresh will be doing is buying the fruits from local farmers, pulp the fruits, freeze the fruits and ship them to the factory in England,’’ said Mr. Lett, MP for St. David and also Minister of Forestry and Fisheries.
“Because of the volume that Winfresh wants, Grenada won’t be able to supply all the fruits. So St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica will have to send their fruits down here and they will be processed at La Sagesse.’’
Minister Lett is excited about the Winfresh deal, particularly as it relates to farmers across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
“Farmers will have a guaranteed market for their crops now,’’ he explained. “So they could go and produce on a large scale and that means money will be coming to the farmers.’’
Mr. Lett said government’s backing of the Winfresh operation at La Sagesse is a fulfillment of the National Democratic Congress’s well-established stance on agro-processing.
He pointed to the NDC’s 2008 election manifesto on setting up agro-processing plants, and the party’s pledge to “support and promote the agro-processing sub-sector to bring more money to our farmers and increase our foreign exchange earnings.’’
