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| Ambassador John Liu presents cane juice extractors to Premier the Hon. Joseph Parry |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (June 22, 2007) -- Premier of Nevis the Hon Joseph Parry, expressed gratitude to the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on behalf of the people of Nevis for its continued financial support and investment in the development of Nevis.
Mr. Parry’s disclosure was made on Thursday June 21, 2007, at the ROC Taiwan Agriculture Technical Mission at Cades Bay, when Resident Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis His Excellency Ambassador John Liu presented him with two sugar cane juice extractors to be used in the Department of Agriculture’s thrust in agro processing on the island.
The juice extractors were presented in response to a request from the Nevis Island Administration (NIA).
The Premier said, as the tourism industry on Nevis continued to grow, agro processing would help to improve the tourism product through new and exciting attractions that would appeal to younger tourists who visited the destination through fresh and healthy alternatives.
The government of the ROC (Taiwan) had previously given its commitment to assist with the construction of an agro processing plant for processors on the island in an effort to utilise all the fresh produce that had been left to rot away in the past.
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| A demonstration of cane juice extraction by two workers at the ROC (Taiwan) Agriculture Technical Mission |
“We need [your] support but we need the support of the agro processing [as well] because we would then be able to use the papaya and the apple and the banana and all that goes with agro processing for ourselves and the tourists.
“If we are talking about healthy living, we need to have good substitutes, fresh substitutes so we are depending on you to turn that commitment [of an agro processing plant] into a reality pretty soon,” he said.
Mr. Parry also used the opportunity to thank the Ambassador for continued support for a Fine Arts Theatre for the people of Nevis and announced that the initial drawings were completed.
“We now have the initial drawings and from there we are hopeful we will have working drawings and we will be out to tender and that building will be a reality soon.
“I must thank your government for your investment and your encouragement and financial support in this gesture and I am hopeful that with the finance of the Fine Arts Theatre will come the community centre for Charlestown. We are going to have to work it out but I love to work things out, so I expect that we will negotiate and reach a successful conclusion,” he said.
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| (L-R) Mr. Pearlivan Wilkin Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Kelvin Daly Director of Agriculture, Premier the Hon. Joseph Parry, Ambassador of ROC (Taiwan) His Excellency John Liu sample the freshly squeezed cane juice while Mr. Whang (white cap) Head of the Agricultural Technical Mission on Nevis explains |
Meantime, during brief remarks the Ambassador noted that the Agricultural Technical Mission had assisted farmers in St. Kitts and Nevis to improve their agricultural production and had established an office in Nevis to assist local farmers in tropical fruits and crop production.
“In order to assist in your agricultural transformation and diversification, our technical Mission, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture on Nevis will also establish an agro processing and training centre in the future,” he said.
Ambassador Liu took the opportunity to commend Premier Parry for what he termed his dynamic leadership and the many achievements since his Administration assumed office one year ago.
He also gave the assurance that the government of China on Taiwan would continue to work with the NIA and to extend hands of friendship in an effort to improve the well being of the people of Nevis.
The ceremony was chaired by Director of Agriculture on Nevis Dr. Kelvin Daly.
