Page 16 - Agric Info Mag 01 2017

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Many of the benefits of land banks
are derived from assembling va-
cant and underutilized properties
under government-ownership and
coordinating their maintenance
and development outcomes with
long-range planning.

Minister Caesar foresees the posi-
tive impact of the land bank ex- L-R: Aurelie Bres FAO Representative (Chile) , Hon. Saboto Caesar - Minister of Agriculture,
Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation and Elgitha Ferdinand, Consultant - FAO Land
tending to other Windward Is- Bank Project providing remarks on the Land Bank Project initiative.
lands.

FAO Representative Aurelie Bres
in addressing the issue of the land
bank said that supports the initia-
tive.

She said that the aim was to ease
the effort of finding lands to lease
and to diminish the volume of
abandoned lands in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines.

Increasing export market access for diversified agricultural produce is a major priority of the Gov-
ernment of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
A major component of this objective is to build and enhance pack-
ing and palletization centers with the objective to ensure grades,
standards and quality of produce to domestic and export markets.

These packing and palletization centers are key components of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transforma-
tion’s Agric-Export Strategy.

On Tuesday 17th January 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural
Transformation, Forestry, and Fisheries visited the Palletization
Centre in Langley Park, Georgetown.
This center is under reconstruction as part of the Banana Accom-
panying Measures (BAM) project for the revitalization of the Agri- Construction in progress
cultural sector. (external view)

Other centers at LaCroix in Marriaqua and Belmont on the Leeward side have been earmarked
for similar use.