Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 1, 2022 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Agriculture held its first meeting on the implementation of the St. Kitts and Nevis Agriculture Transformation & Growth Strategy 2022-2031 on November 29, 2022. Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Miguel Flemming, described the meeting as necessary to bring various stakeholders together to strengthen cooperation and capacity-building.
“We are gathered here with key stakeholders including the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) so that we can discuss the St. Kitts and Nevis Agriculture Transformation & Growth Strategy 2022-2031. And we felt that it was important that we get a round-table discussion where everyone can chime in in terms of the way forward for agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis. It is no use to have a plan, but you do not go through the plan, and you do not get the persons that are in the field to help to vet the document and to contribute to the shortage, medium and long-term goals since we are working towards 2031. We know that everything cannot be done overnight but it is important that we agree on the way forward,” said Acting Permanent Secretary Flemming.
The session saw presentations by Acting Permanent Secretary Flemming, Mr. Huey Sergeant, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Cooperatives and Fisheries on Nevis, and Mr. Daniel Arthurton, National Consultant.
The Ministry received technical and financial support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to develop the new national strategic plan for agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis. This long-term plan will outline the path for the sector to transform and essentially reach its sustainable development goals.
“We are very serious about the development of agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis. We want to ensure that we secure our food and we do not have an economy where the importing class alone is making money. We will boost local production; we will support the farmers on the ground, and we need to find ways to get more work done in the country and that’s what’s going to happen over the next few years,” said PS Flemming.
The implementation of this strategy is being led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources in St. Kitts and the Ministry of Agriculture on Nevis in collaboration with farmers, fishers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
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