Baron Foods Ltd. and the CARICOM-based Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) have signed a three-year agreement in support of food production, agribusiness and rural development in St. Lucia and the wider Caribbean.

The contract signed on Thursday, Nov. 6, by CARDI Country Representative for St. Lucia Ronald Pilgrim, and Baron Foods CEO and Managing Director Ronald Ramjattan OBE, was the result of months of planning and resource allocation between Baron Foods and CARDI on revitalizing the regional hot pepper industry.

It establishes a commitment towards securing a supply chain and providing a market avenue for farmers, by establishing a minimum quota of 5,000 lbs of hot peppers per week. It further states that upon an increase of the quota, Baron Foods will seek to export the surplus pepper to be consumed by its plants in other Caribbean islands.

CARDI has also agreed to provide training for farmers on building morale, efficiency, and productivity by using best management practices and to provide farmers with high quality pepper seeds such as Moruga Red, Scotch Bonnet, and West Indies Red.

Following the agreement, a series of field visits, demonstrations, training and workshops with St. Lucian farmers have been hosted by CARDI and Baron Foods as a kick start to the project.

“With the increased demand for value added agri-products, it is imperative that agro-processors receive a consistent, year round supply of quality fresh produce. This agreement is a win-win situation as the direct backward linkages to the agricultural sector will serve to create employment and generate stable returns for local farmers,” Mr. Ramjattan said.

Funding will be provided by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for administrative costs, while the Ministry of Agriculture has assigned an extension officer to support the project.