St. Lucia’s agricultural sector is getting a high-tech boost.
It’s called the Virtual Agricultural Clearing House, and it’s a digital platform through which the island’s hotels, restaurants and distributors can get info on the availability of crops.
The VACH, which is a project by the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association’s Tourism Enhancement Fund, has already seen sales of 42,318 pounds of produce in its first three months in operation.
That’s brought in revenue of $127,044, according to the SLHTA.
The figures directly reflect reported purchases by hotels and distributors from local farmers on the island.
One local farer, Moses Rene, said his sales had increased “considerably” from the program.
“This is tourism dollars directly in the pockets of our farmers,” the SLHTA said in a statement.