TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Saint Lucia made its first-ever appearance at Food Taipei 2024, which opened on Wednesday (June 26).
Export Saint Lucia, the national trade promotion agency, is spotlighting popular domestic snacks and beverages, according to the Saint Lucia Embassy in Taiwan. The nation’s most renowned product is sun-dried sea moss, high in carrageenan, a natural food thickener. Sea moss is also rich in essential vitamins and antioxidants and is said to be a natural aphrodisiac.
Chairman’s Reserve Rum, is crafted at Saint Lucia’s only distillery using many different raw materials and aged in various fragrant woods. Another famous product is Baron Foods West Indian Hot Sauce, made from fresh peppers blended with mustard to create a unique spicy flavor.
Saint Lucia's major food exports to Taiwan include beverages, alcohol, and vinegar.
The country’s Minister of Agriculture Alfred Prospere is visiting Taiwan and stopped by the food show Wednesday morning. He praised the event’s large scale and diverse exhibitors, saying, “It is a lovely setup.”
Commenting on the food technology spotlighted at the event, he said adding nutritional value to food “is a very good way for us to move into the future because it will protect our food security, our food sovereignty.”
Prospere is seeking closer cooperation with Taiwan to improve standards in food safety and nutritional value in Saint Lucia. He aims to take what he learns during this trip, including about greenhouse technology and fisheries, and bring it back to Saint Lucia to make agriculture more sustainable.
The minister said his nation is finding it difficult to encourage the younger generation to pursue agriculture. “We need to develop our agricultural innovation methods, which will attract young citizens into this sector,” he said.
Prospere said Saint Lucia currently has a program targeting several selected crops to reduce imports of those crops. The Taiwan government has provided NT$120.50 million (10 million East Caribbean Dollars) to fund the program’s second phase, he said.
Prospere thanked Taiwan for its “unwavering support” in agriculture. The East Asian nation is training our young people and women in agriculture and is helping his ministry “make agriculture in Saint Lucia a lot better than it is now.”
Taiwan and Saint Lucia first established diplomatic relations in 1984 and again in 2007.
