(MOA Basseterre,St.Kitts,February 29th 2024);
In a significant step towards bolstering agricultural resilience and ensuring food security, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis, through the Department of Agriculture is fulfilling its commitment to crop farmers by distributing drought tolerant materials and the necessary inputs as part of the ambitious CARICOM 25 by 25 Agenda rollout.
Crop farmers in Old Road, St. Peters and Conaree have so far received materials and have also seen the installation of polypropylene ground cover, drip lines and other irrigation technology in the last week with aims of boosting crop production. These materials are designed to enhance water-use efficiency, optimize crop yields, and enable farmers to navigate through periods of water scarcity.
The distribution comes days after more than 120 farmers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, solidifying their partnership with the Department of Agriculture on its quest to achieve the 25 by 25 Agenda target, which will initiate a 25% reduction in the federation’s food import bill by the year 2025.
This initiative, aimed at transforming the agricultural landscape, underscores the government’s unwavering dedication to supporting farmers.
The distribution of materials will continue over the next few days in the various districts across the island with farmers who committed to growing crops like cantaloupe, watermelon, sweet peppers, tomatoes and other commodities.
Farmers seeking further information about the Crop Production Plan are asked to contact the Crop Division at the Department of Agriculture at 869-467-1841.
