Headlines:
| WIBDECO & SLBC agree to end banana war |
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| Monday, 05 May 2008 | |
The Windward Islands
Banana Development (WIBDECO) and the St. Lucia Banana Corporation (SLBC) have agreed
to discontinue a court battle for control of the local banana industry.The two parties have entered a "consent order", which effectively terminates a court injunction granted to the SLBC in March, preventing WIBDECO from terminating a banana supply contract it had with SLBC on March 31. The SLBC was removed from the list of companies qualified to sell bananas since it had not obtained certification from the British-based Fair-Trade Labelling Organisation (FLO). In the consent order, WIBDECO agreed to cooperate with SLBC in its application to acquire FLO certification. 
WIBDECO has also agreed to use its "best
endeavours" to encourage the Windward Islands Farmers Association to enter
into a supply sub-contract with SLBC.Earlier this year, Ezekiel Joseph, St. Lucia's Agriculture Minister said the SLBC had an opportunity to get certified and protect its status in the market, like its sister organisations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, but failed to do so. |