An Atlantic Ocean tropical wave is along 36W south of 15N, moving
W at 15-20 kt. A 1010 mb low pressure along the wave axis near
08N36W. Scattered moderate convection is from 07N-12N between
35W- 41W.
An Atlantic Ocean tropical wave is seen from 15N54W to 06N58W,
moving W at 15-20 kt. Scattered moderate convection is seen near
this wave from 09N- 14N between 53W-61W. There are also
thunderstorms along the wave axis in Guyana.
An eastern Caribbean Sea tropical wave is along 65W south of 16N,
moving W at 15 kt. At this time, no significant convection is
seen near this wave.
A western Caribbean Sea tropical wave is along 83W south of 16N,
moving W at 10 kt. Scattered moderate convection is within 100 nm
E of the wave axis mostly from 11N-13N.
OECS Youth Entrepreneurs explore new horizons in Denmark
For the first time, three youth entrepreneurs from the OECS pitched their business startups at the Creative Business Cup (CBC) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Kenna Questelles George from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Founder of LinkUp; Tamara Prosper from Grenada, Founder of Tambaran by Tamara; and Denell Floirus from Saint Lucia, Founder of EcoCarib.
The CBC programme is an event intended to strengthen the attendees’ innovative capabilities and benefit their businesses. The programme hosted startups from over 60 participating countries at the global festival of creativity in Copenhagen from June 29 – July 2, 2019.
The CBC seeks to empower entrepreneurs and trend spotters with creative ideas to connect with investors and global markets, and compete for prizes in the global pitch competition.
The three OECS startups were selected based on their success in recent pitch deck competitions such as the Caribbean Entrepreneurship Challenge (CEC), the Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre’s (CCIC) Green Tech Boot Camp and Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurship Program (CTEP).
The four-day event featured bootcamp sessions and panel and round table discussions with startups like 6Degrees from Israel and content strategists from the CBC. Participants were given the opportunity to engage in discussions such as Intellectual Property Rights with Dr. Hashim Hussein, Head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Investment and Technology Promotion Office.
Pitch competitions were also conducted on the main stage, with the final two days focused on three (3) minute pitches from all participants.
The overall winners of the championship were Denmark’s LaPee in first place, with an outdoor portable urinal for women; followed by Finland’s Deafmetal, a hearing aid accessory innovation which allows you to personalise your hearing device; and in third place the Czech Republic’s Snuggs, a sustainable female underwear that replaces the need for single use menstrual pads. There were also strong pitches from Africa and the Americas featuring nanotechnology that harnesses water in dry places using little to no energy.
Business Development Specialist at the OECS Competitive Business Unit (CBU), Kwesi Roberts, congratulated the young entrepreneurs on their participation in the international event.
“Exposure on the international level is crucial for our young businessmen and women. Events, such as the Creative Business Cup, provide an opportunity for them to learn from like-minded people from around the globe.”
“It also affords our entrepreneurs the opportunity to build networks and increase their business opportunities,” Roberts said.
The youth entrepreneurs are currently following up on leads established during the event.
Tropical Weather Discussion
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
205 PM EDT Thu Jul 11 2019
Tropical Weather Discussion for northern sections of South America, and Atlantic Ocean to the African coast. The following information is based on satellite imagery, weather observations, radar and meteorological analysis.
Based on 1200 UTC surface analysis and satellite imagery through 1740 UTC.
TROPICAL WAVES…
An Atlantic Ocean tropical wave is along 31W/32W from 14N
southward. A 1012 mb low pressure is along the tropical wave
near 08N. Widely scattered moderate to isolated strong
rainshowers are from 03N to 11N between 30W and 36W.
An Atlantic Ocean tropical wave is along 14N52W 10N53W 07N54W.
Widely scattered moderate to isolated strong rainshowers are
within 120 nm on either side of the line that runs from 13N51W
to 10N56W to 07N59W. Broken low level clouds, and possible
rainshowers, are from 17N southward between 60W and 70W. Some of
this precipitation, if not most of it, may not be related to the
tropical wave at all.
An eastern Caribbean Sea tropical wave is along 61W from 14N
southward. Widely scattered moderate to isolated strong
rainshowers are from 07N to 11N between 48W and 53W.
Recently held in Trinidad & Tobago was the Fashion & Contemporary Design Accelerator hosted by a collaboration of The Caribbean Export Delopment Agency (CEDA) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), through the Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF) at the University of Trinidad & Tobago. The aim was to enable a larger cadre of professionals within the creative industries sector to be equipped and enhanced with technical and business skills.
An Expression of Interest was circulated (via TEPA and CDB) to fashion designers within the Caribbean Region. The participants were selected from an application pool of Seventy-Eight. Requirements included, designers having been established for at least five years, with a line of products and other features in place including a website. Twenty designers who were chosen from the territories of Haiti, Jamaica and South to Guyana, participated in the 10-day Fashion & Design Accelerator; Lyn Bristol of LBM Designs, was the only participant chosen from St Lucia.
The workshop or “boot camp”, as described by Ms. Bristol, took place May 6 to 16, 2019 at the Caribbean Academy of Fashion Design (CAFD) located at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, in Port of Spain. Upon her return to Saint Lucia, she expressed how intense, but satisfying, the workshop was, with assignments which had to be completed and submitted by the end of the course.
The course covered a wide area of subjects pertaining to the industry and CAFD carries a wealth of resource information for students, and the facilitators are all well respected and knowledgeable in their various fields of the fashion industry.
According to Ms. Bristol this was an exhilarating experience where participants were encouraged to be open to digital techniques and to do research constantly, so as to keep up with the global fashion trends; not only in styling, but in technology and social media. These aspects would ensure that they keep relevant in their field. The designers were also encouraged to be aware of global fashion trade shows taking place and to participate in one. They were also made to realize that fashion shows are to be used as a marketing tool and not for entertainment.
Coordinator at the Cultural & Creative Industries Innovation Fund Marielle Barrow said that the programme facilitated sharing a vision for collaboration as a way for growing the sector. She said the fund, which was established in 2017 through the CDB, wanted to instill the idea of partnership as the best way forward.
The intention of the programme was to empower designers by strengthening their technical skills and add to their business approaches by expanding their understanding of what is required for effective trade and export within the region and beyond.
Lyn Bristol of LBM Designs was proud to represent Saint Lucia and she would like to see an official Caribbean Fashion Designers Association established. This was echoed by all the participants as all fashion designers in the region seem to face the same challenges and hurdles, especially when dealing with the private sectors and governments. She says “something needs to be established very soon.” Since the course, this group of designers, have kept in constant contact with each other and hope that they can work together and collaborate on projects in the near future
Carnival Monday and Tuesday are NOT Public Holidays
Saint Lucia The department of Labour wishes to advise that Carnival Monday and Tuesday are NOT public holidays. This means that time-off given on those days are solely at the desecration of the employer and a worker works on those days is not entitled to double-time or double-pay.
For the North Atlantic…Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Potential
Tropical Cyclone Two, located over the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Formation chance through 48 hours…high…near 100 percent.
Formation chance through 5 days…high…near 100 percent.
A tropical wave located several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo
Verde Islands is producing disorganized shower activity. Some
slight development of the wave is possible during the next day or
two while it moves westward at 15 to 20 mph before environmental
conditions become less favorable over the weekend.
CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum: The agro-processed food and natural ingredient sectors and the creative industries: keys to the Caribbean’s expansion in the European market
The value of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) exports has shrunk by an estimated interannual rate of 1.6% in the first quarter of 2019, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
The slowdown in LAC foreign sales has been partially counteracted by buoyant exports from the Caribbean
The Caribbean Export Development Agency is committed to promoting the agro-processed food and natural ingredient sectors and the creative industries in Europe in order to fuel expansion
Following two years of uninterrupted growth, goods exports from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have fallen in the first months of 2019, due to a decline in the volume of exports as well as a drop in the prices of raw materials. The Caribbean countries – Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados and Suriname – together with Mexico, Ecuador and Costa Rica, are the only ones to record positive developments from January to March. However, the slowdown is marked and for this reason the countries in the region are making a concerted effort to foster their overseas commercial relationships in order to counter the drop in demand.
CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum: The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in cooperation with the European Union and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH or GIZ in short is holding the fourth CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum from the 26 to the 28 September 2019 in Frankfurt, with the aim of improving commercial relationships between fifteen (15) Caribbean countries (CARIFORUM) and Europe, and increasing awareness of the private sector of business opportunities in the European market. Caribbean Export has identified the agro-processed food and natural ingredient industries and the cultural and creative industries as the sectors with the highest potential for growth in Europe.
Rum and seasonings, the Caribbean’s booming products
The Caribbean is world-famous as the home of rum. Global rum exports have increased by 26.86% over the last three years to reach a value of 1.45 million euros, and the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are its major producers.
In Europe, consumption in this market is led by Germany and Spain. In Spain, rum consumption makes up 14% of the spirits market, and in 2018 over 68% of global imports of rum came from the European market.
“Over the last decade, the production of rum has diversified to include a wide range of flavours, including apple, pineapple, mango and passionfruit,” comments Damie Sinanan, Manager for Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export. “With these changing trends and increased demand, we hope to see a more diverse range of Caribbean rum available in the European market.”
In addition, there is a noticeable increase in imports of spices and seasonings from developing countries to Europe (97% of the total import volume). This owes to the healthy lifestyle trends, interest in new flavours and sustainability. In fact, the global spice market is forecast to grow by 5.1% from 2017 to 2021, according to Eurostat.
Natural ingredients, Caribbean treasure Europe’s love for natural plant-based ingredients combined with the region’s efforts to promote sustainability is fueling the demand for natural products, in different industries such as the cosmetics market.
The Caribbean has an abundance of naturally grown produce that can be used within the nutraceutical and natural cosmetics market. Coconuts for example can be used in a wide range of products including cosmetics and the FMI reports that the natural cosmetics market is projected to grow at 4.9% volume CAGR through 2027. In 2017, the European cosmetics market was valued at €77.6 billion, making Europe the largest cosmetics market in the world and natural cosmetics accounts for around 5% of total market. Among the European countries, Germany has the largest market for cosmetic products, valued at €13.6 billion, followed by France (€11.3 billion), the UK (€11.1 billion), Italy (€10.1billion) and Spain (€6.8 billion).
Another interesting segment isgluten-free foods & beverages. Approximately, Europe accounts for 25% of global gluten free product demand.
“European consumers are increasingly concerned by their health and diet, which has a positive impact on the demand for naturally sourced products found in the Caribbean including those believed to have health benefits,” explains Sinanan. Wheat based flour contains varying levels of the protein gluten which has gained significant notoriety over the past decade due to increasing prevalence of gluten related health complications and a general switch by consumers to more health-conscious options across the board. Furthermore, the gluten free market is expected to grow to the value of €29 billion by 2025.
Potential for growth of cultural industries The increase in demand for Caribbean music is reflected in the huge popularity of festivals featuring this genre of music in European countries, such as Summerjam reggae festival in Germany, Ibiza Soca festival in Spain and Reggae Sun Ska Festival in France, along with many others.
The increase in demand for Caribbean music is reflected in the huge popularity of festivals featuring this genre of music in European countries, such as Summerjam reggae festival in Germany, Ibiza Soca festival in Spain and Reggae Sun Ska Festival in France, along with many others.
“One of the aims of this forum is to promote Caribbean cinema and animation as well as music, and animation in particular as we know that it is one of the most widely-circulated categories in Europe,” indicates Damie Sinanan of Caribbean Export.
For more information about the 4th CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum visit: http://www.carib-export.com/businessforum/
More information about Caribbean Export can be found at www.carib-export.com
About Caribbean Export Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organisation of the Forum of Caribbean States (CARIFORUM) currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Export’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective programme execution and strategic alliances.
Bakers from around the island are set to converge on the Bethel’s Blessing Events and Conference Centre in Dennery on July 24, 2019 from 11:00 A.M for their annual general meeting. The meeting, which will seek to elect members to comprise an executive for the association, is the result of a renewed effort by bakers around the island to better organize themselves to represent their interests and work to enhance the standard of baking in the country.
In March this year, a group of bakers from around the island met at two Bakers’ Forum – one in the North at the Evergreen Building in Rodney Heights and another at Vieux Fort based flour mill, Caribbean Grains Limited – where they appointed a Steering Committee which was charged with the responsibility of preparing for an Annual General Meeting of the Association. It has been a number of years since the bakers last met as an Association.
The renewed interest among bakers in re-establishing themselves comes on the heels of a detailed study of the baking industry in Saint Lucia which was conducted in the third quarter of 2018. The study which was commissioned by Caribbean Grains Ltd, revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the local industry as well as the possibilities available in the sector. Training, product development and plant upgrade were some of the key areas that required immediate attention. As a result, it was felt that these issues would be best addressed if the industry was more organized.
The Annual General Meeting will receive reports of the work done so far by the Interim Committee, elect a new executive and consider a work programme aimed at repositioning the baking industry in Saint Lucia. Over fifty (50) bakers from around the island are expected to attend this important meeting.
For more information on this meeting, please contact Ms. Lena Cadasse-Walker at 724-4554 or Mr. Cyril Saltibus at 484-3344
The Public is hereby notified that in keeping with changes in international oil prices and Government’s application of the modified market pass-through petroleum pricing mechanism, the retail price of gasoline and kerosene remains unchanged. The retail price of diesel, LPG 20, 22 and 100 lb cylinders has changed. The price changes take effect from Monday July 08, 2019:
Gasoline remains unchanged at $3.07 per litre or $13.95 per gallon Kerosene remains unchanged at $1.93 per litre or $8.76 per gallon
Diesel decreased from $3.04 to $2.87 per litre or $13.81 to $13.04 per gallon
LPG: 20 Pound Cylinder (9.07 kg) increased from $32.23 to $32.70 per cylinder 22 Pound Cylinder (9.98 kg) increased from $35.73 to $36.25 per cylinder 100 Pound Cylinder (45.36kg) increased from $204.95 to $207.34 per cylinder
The Public is informed that the next adjustment of the retail price of fuel products will be on Monday July 29, 2019.
UN SG is Special Guest at Opening Ceremony for CARICOM Heads Meeting Wednesday
CARICOM Heads of Government begin their 40th Regular Meeting in Saint Lucia on Wednesday with the UN SG Antonio Guterres as Special Guest Speaker at the Opening Ceremony.
The Ceremony, expected to set the tone for two packed days of discussions on pressing economic development and international relations matters, will also be addressed by the incoming CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia, outgoing Chairman, Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris of St. Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
The UN Secretary-General has been paying close attention to challenges in the Caribbean Community. In 2017, following the devastation by Category Five Hurricanes Irma and Maria in several Caribbean Community Member States, he visited for a first hand view and to meet affected residents. Later, he collaborated with his CARICOM counterpart Ambassador Irwin LaRocque to host the CARICOM-UN High Level Pledging Conference at UN Headquarters in November that year to support the rebuilding process and the effort to make the Caribbean Community the world’s first climate resilient region.
The Prime Minister of Norway Ms Erna Solberg, who is also a Special Guest of the Meeting, and will attend Wednesday’s Opening Ceremony following which she will join the Heads of Government and the UN Secretary-General for a working dinner. The Prime Minister will have an engagement with the Heads of Government during Thursday’s Plenary session.
