Taiwan’s ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Fiona Huei-Chun Fan, says the new Agricultural Productivity Recovery and Young Farmers Training Project is both an investment in youth and a symbol of 45 years of diplomatic ties between Kingstown and Taipei.
Speaking during the launch of the project at the Orange Hill Agricultural Biotechnology Centre on Tuesday, Fan framed the project within a global shift in agriculture.
She said agriculture remains essential to food security and national resilience.
“Yet agriculture today is no longer driven only by traditional practices around the world,” she said. “The future of farming is being shared by science, innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.”
The diplomat said the government of Taiwan has committed US$2.5 million to the three-year initiative.
“This three-year initiative will introduce advanced smart agriculture technologies, including vertical farming and an IoT-based environment control system, which your crops will grow in a hydroponic and air conditioning control environment.”
However, Fan stressed that the real emphasis of the project was on human capital, especially on the 75 young farmers.
“Today, we welcome the first cohort of 15 young farmers. They will be selected to participate in intensive five-month training programmes with stipends.”
The ambassador said outstanding participants will also receive entrepreneurship coaching and partial start-up funding to help transform their idea into sustainable businesses.
Fan stressed that the programme “will not stand alone”, but would be integrated with the private sector, including tourism and hospitality.
She linked the presence of hoteliers and tourism representatives at the event to “growing market potentials for locally produced high-quality agricultural products,” pointing to lettuce grown by young farmers.
“So many of you have already had that opportunity to test the high-quality lettuce, which I share with you, and I learned that one common question has been, ‘Where can we buy it?’”
She said the strong interest demonstrates the growing market potential for locally produced high-quality agricultural products.
“It also highlights an important message: for our young farmers, agriculture is not only about production, but also about creating value, meeting market demand, and building connections between farmers, business, and consumers.”
‘pioneers of new generations of agriculture’
Addressing the young farmers directly, Fan presented the programme as an entry point into an evolving, opportunity-rich sector.
“So, dear young farmers, today you are not simply trainees, you are also pioneers of new generations of agriculture,” she said. “You are entering a sector filled with opportunity.”
She pledged that Taiwan would continue to stand with SVG as a reliable partner and sincere friend.
Fan linked the launch of the young farmers’ training programme to developments earlier the same day at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, saying SVG had again publicly supported Taiwan’s inclusion in global health fora.
SVG’s Minister of Health, Daniel Cummings, called on the World Health Organisation to recognise Taiwan’s remarkable capabilities and valuable contributions to global health, and to include Taiwan as an observer or member of the WHO.
“This courageous and compassionate gesture speaks volumes about the deep bonds between our nations, and that global cooperation must leave no one behind,” Fan said.
She expressed her “deepest appreciation” to the government and people of SVG and to Prime Minister Godwin Friday “for his visionary leadership and stated support”.
Fan used the launch to underscore the duration and depth of Taiwan–SVG ties.
“This year marks the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic relations between our two countries,” she said.
She noted that throughout those years, Taiwan has faced challenges in securing meaningful participation in international organisations, but she argued that SVG’s intervention at the WHA represented “a powerful demonstration of friendship and principled leadership on the world stage”.
It would be great to see the sargasso weed being utilized in agruculture.
When I first moved to Labrador, I discovered that seaweed was the main fertilizer for the gardeners here with great results.l