Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 13, 2020 (SKNIS): Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Eugene Hamilton, said that the Team Unity Government has assisted hundreds of farmers in the Federation through low-interest rate loans, government grants and hurricane relief funds.
Speaking during Parliament on February 12, Minister Hamilton said that “the government before us had a high IMF debt and the economy was held back and our farmers weren’t supported. This is the reality we met when we came to office.”
He said that since the Government took office in 2015, “we have provided hurricane relief, for example, Mr. Speaker, in excess of 1.3 million dollars to our five hundred farmers after the 2017 hurricanes that caused significant loss and damage to some of our farmers in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
“We went further Mr. Speaker and provided 1.5 million dollars in loans at low-interest rate at 5 percent to assist farmers in conducting their business,” he added.
“And even further Mr. Speaker, we provided one million in grant funds through the Development Bank. One million dollars in grant funds Mr. Speaker, went on to help over two-hundred and thirty persons … who benefited from this particular programme,” Minister Hamilton said.
“The farmers in this country have had significant contributions and were the beneficiaries of the government’s programme to help to rehabilitate those who had lost from the hurricanes as well as those to grow and help develop their business,” he said.
