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By Kevon Browne
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS (WINN) – The Minister of Agriculture recently updated the public on current developments in the agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, outlining ongoing projects and future plans.
The Minister highlighted the progress of the “25×25” agenda, which includes several initiatives to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability. The SAFE program has generated interest, increased the land available for cultivation, and boosted overall agricultural production.
“We are certainly moving forward with our 25×25 agenda and even beyond. So far, we have informed the nation about several initiatives. Most recently, we launched SAFE, Sustainable Agriculture for All. This program will allow us to reach out to backyard farmers and backyard gardeners because we recognize that in the race with development and human growth, our land mass (which is 68 square miles no matter how we look at it, we have no control over its size) must be shared by all aspects of our development. We recognize that if we include backyards as part of the whole program, we will see, you know, more land available, and also human resources because every family becomes a working unit. And the whole idea of getting as many farmers as possible, we are seeing that progress. There has been a lot of interest in our SAFE program, and the development of backyard agriculture is ongoing.”
The Minister stressed the benefits of involving families in agricultural production, transforming each family into a production unit.
“Coupled with the projects we’ve been doing with conventional farmers, we’ve seen an increase in the amount of land available for cultivation, and therefore an increase in our overall production. So, for me, this is a major achievement and I’m happy about it.”
Greenhouse village construction is also progressing. The Ministry of Agriculture is working with various organizations to renovate existing greenhouses and further strengthen the industry’s infrastructure.
As the Federation heads into the year 2025, the Minister expressed optimism that the goals set out in the 25-year agenda can be achieved.
“We are getting to 2025 and we are looking at what numbers that will bring and it is looking pretty good at the moment. We have seen an increase in food intake in the department, which is a very good sign. Looking ahead to 2025, we are preparing for 2025 and once we start counting the numbers from January to December, at the end of the count we hope to be well ahead of what we were going to achieve but at least be able to achieve the 25-year agenda.”
The Minister reviewed past challenges, particularly those posed by natural disasters such as Cyclone Beryl, and discussed lessons learned and measures taken to mitigate future impacts.
“We’ve built it into our plans, so some of the drought mitigation techniques that we’ve been using and where we’ve structured our plans have been built into the idea of storm mitigation because we have to face it. We’re in a hurricane-prone area, so any production plan has to include some type of mitigation plan. Let’s look at it. If you’re growing corn in the field and a storm comes through, it’s likely going to damage the crop. You can’t fight it, but you can just reintroduce the seedlings and you can start again. So our planning options include the concept of mitigation.”
He continued: “We are also stockpiling seeds because the quickest way to get things back is to replant. The sooner we can replant, especially those short-term crops like some of the tomatoes, peppers, cabbages, carrots that we have selected, those can start growing and in a few weeks we can get back to growing.”
As hurricane season approaches, the Department of Agriculture is actively monitoring storm progress and ensuring preparations are in place to respond quickly to any potential damage.
“The department is obviously monitoring the storm’s progress, but also making sure we have the parts on hand to get going again in case there’s any storm damage across the country. Of course, it’s something you can’t completely control, but we want to mitigate as much as we can and be ready to recover if the storm does come.”
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis continues to pursue plans and strategies to strengthen the development of its agriculture and fisheries sectors for a sustainable future.
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