- St Vincent Arrowroot Completion programme
The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines organised a ceremony to mark the completion of phase I of the Arrowroot industry modernization project funded by India to the extent of USD 1.34 million under the India-UNDP parternship fund.
The project began in 2019 but met with challenges due to the Soufriere volcano eruption on April 9, 2021. The original cost of the project was USD 1,034,226 million, but a further USD 300,000 enhanced allocation was approved in view of the cost and time escalation due to the COVID pandemic and the supply chain disruptions. The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, and Information Technology and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), along with the Ministry of Agriculture of SVG, were the local partners.
The planned work involved setting up a foundation for a new factory with a factory shell, plumbing, and electrical installations. The project’s main goal was to increase the Arrowroot industry’s contribution to the country’s sustainable economic development by strengthening resilience to climate change and improving livelihoods in vulnerable communities. The project’s aim has been to enhance the livelihoods of the indigenous communities involved in the farming and processing of arrowroot, with a special focus on creating job opportunities for women.
Dr. The Hon’ble Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Dr. Shankar Balachandran, Ambassador of India to Suriname and concurrently accredited as the non-resident High Commissioner of India to SVG, unveiled on April 9, 2024, a plaque in English and Hindi commemorating the completion of the first phase of the Arrowroot modernization project at Orange Hills, SVG.
The handover ceremony took place at the factory site, with Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, High Commissioner Dr.Shankar Balachandran, Ministers Saboto Caesar and Montgomery Daniel, UNIDO Representative Mr. Raymond Victory, Arrowroot Industry Manager Mr.Selmon Walters addressing the gathering, and Permanent Secretary of Agriculture Ms. Nerissa serving as the chairperson.
The speakers thanked India for her contribution to the project, which is very important for local consumption, exports, and sustainable development. Gonsalves recalled the day three years ago when the volcanic eruption left a trail of destruction and said this day was a day of hope and renewal, a sign that the SVG had put behind the past and was looking forward to a bright future. It was a realization of the joint vision of his brother Prime Minister Modi and his that a place destroyed by the volcano had seen a factory structure coming up.
The High Commissioner congratulated the governments of SVG and UNIDO on the completion of the project.
He highlighted that the project reflected India’s commitment to South-South cooperation and added that India’s support for developing nations was guided by the philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) and is based on inclusive growth.
He expressed confidence that the new facilities and skills acquired would propel the arrowroot industry and contribute to the nation’s economic growth and the well-being of its people.
