Premium Corners at Massy Stores to enhance consumption and sale of local produce

May 6^th, 2021

Massy Stores (Saint Lucia) is supporting farmers and the local economy with the launch of Premium Produce Corners at Massy Stores Supermarkets, nationwide. The Premium Corners display a range of freshly harvested, high quality, local produce and can be recognized by a heart-shaped Saint Lucian flag trademark affixed to selected supermarket shelves.

The premium corner is a component of the “Love Saint Lucia” buy local campaign, by Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Commerce; and the “Seven Crops Project”, an alliance between Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF), that is geared at reducing the food import bill through the increased production of seven selected fruit and vegetable crops.

As the island’s largest buyer of agricultural produce and the leading supermarket retailer, Massy Stores Supermarkets was eager to partner on the initiative.

“We remain fully committed to working with suppliers and farmers in the agriculture sector so that our customers can have their pick of the best local produce. Our expectation for the “Love Saint Lucia” campaign is for local items to be our customers’ first choice,” said Perishables Manager, Dunstan Demille.

Mr. Demille explained that the Premium Corners initiative allows for Massy Supermarkets to provide key support structures to the island’s agricultural community.

“Massy Stores’ role in agriculture has moved beyond being purely a market for producers. There is a heavy focus on ventures that help to shape the future of agriculture in Saint Lucia, in particular, the ability of Massy Stores’ registered farmers to produce large quantities of high quality, nutritious produce on a consistent basis. Our relationship with farmers is not just about buying and selling. It extends to regular farm visits where Massy Stores’ produce buying teams visit local farms regularly to discuss market demand, cost management, scheduling, supply logistics, production planning for improved product availability, right down to the introduction of new varieties of crops,” he said.

Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Agriculture said the public-private partnership with Massy Stores Supermarkets will help promote local production, consumption, and demand, while the Taiwan ICDF Technical Mission said the project is an important step in promoting food security.

Since the Ministry of Commerce launched the “Love Saint Lucia” campaign last year, Massy Stores Supermarkets has seized the opportunity to further enhance relationships with local suppliers by taking a more personal approach to doing business with small and medium sized business enterprises.

The setup of the premium corners in support of the Seven Crop initiative is in keeping with Massy Stores’ overarching mission to “care about communities and the environment” through the support of local enterprises, which help stimulate the local economy and create employment. The focal crops of the Seven Crops Project include bell peppers, lettuce, cantaloupes, pineapples, watermelons, tomatoes and cabbages. Look for these premium fruits and vegetables, and more, at Massy Stores Supermarkets island wide!