BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 13, 2024 (SKNIS) – During the Prime Minister’s Press Conference with Cabinet Ministers on Tuesday (February 13), Minister responsible for Agriculture, the Honourable Samal Duggins, shared his optimism about St. Kitts and Nevis attaining its ambitious goal of reducing the food import bill by 25 percent by the year 2025.
Central to the minister’s positive outlook is the fact that more and more local farmers have come onboard to partner with the Ministry of Agriculture towards achieving this goal.
“We are steadfast in our efforts to meet our 25 by 25 Agenda,” Minister Duggins said. “We have since had one hundred plus farmers who have since signed on and given their commitment to ensure that they are able to be a part of sharing in that $50 million,” said Minister Duggins, adding that the Federation’s farmers have expressed their interest in contributing to and benefitting from this goal.
On Wednesday, February 07 and Monday, February 12, 2024, the Department of Agriculture hosted 25 by 25 Crop Farmer Commodity Meetings, where farmers who have signed on to be a part of this venture were updated on pertinent information and presented with certificates of participation.
The farmers will focus their production on watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes and sweet peppers.
Minister Duggins said these farmers are receiving the full support of the Department of Agriculture throughout the process through the provision of inputs and other technical support.
“We recognise that our farmers have a duty to produce, but we have a duty to support, and in that regard, we are pleased to note that the hatchery project at the Bayford’s Livestock Center [of Excellence] is well underway,” he said. “Last year, we signed the memorandum of understanding and the hatchery project is approaching completion. I understand that somewhere between March and April we should be able to open the doors to production in our hatchery.”
Honourable Duggins indicated that the ministry budgeted for the buildout of a poultry slaughtering facility. This facility, in addition to the hatchery, will improve the Federation’s capabilities of producing a greater quantity of local poultry “to tackle that $20 million of poultry product that we import.”
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