The St Lucia Floral Co-operative Society Limited was registered under the Co-operative Societies Law, chapter 82 of the Revised Laws of St Lucia on August 19, 1999 by eighteen members. The Society held its first Annual General Meeting on 18th September 1999.

The main operation of the Society is the production of Cut Flowers for local processing and the export market.

Plan of Action

The Plan of Action of the Co-operative along with its Bye-Laws and other policies that may arise is:-

• To gradually increase the acreage of ‘floral’ from 20 acres to 60 acres with in 5 years
• To produce top quality and adequate quantity of floral products for export and local markets.
• To seek markets overseas for the sale of consistent top quality and quantity flowers.
• To seek prices for the sustenance of our members and St. Lucia.
• To engage in business transactions which are always aboveboard.

Objectives

• To secure markets internationally and regionally for the sale of cut flowers, (Alpinia sp. Heliconia sp., Caribbean Pink Anthuriums) and foliage by the end of October 2002.
• To construct a packaging facility for the export of quality blooms
• To renovate and existing facility at Bath Nursery to a temporary packaging facility which will be used for the export of cut flowers.
• To source boxes of various sizes, sleeving material. Newspapers for packing of the different flower types.
•     To sustain flower production in the long-term in St. Lucia.

Status
Cut Flower production in St. Lucia has been for the last six (6) years supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.  The Ministry of Agriculture through the Cut Flower Project is expected  to support the Agricultural Diversification effort in such a way that it diversifies the agricultural base and provides ready income for producers and others through its primary and secondary products.

Currently there are 60 acres under cutflower production: - Anthurium lilies (Caribbean Pink and Hybrids) 23 acres; Ginger lilies (Red and Pink) 32 acres; Heliconias, Limonium and Hybrids 3 acres;  and Orchids (Dendrobiums, Onicidium) 2 acres.

Flower production is not limited to any specific area of the country but is spread throughout, with major production areas being in the south and south-eastern parts of the country. There are at present fifty-seven (57) farmers producing cut-flowers on a commercial scale.