Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Local Produce On Display At The Farmers’ Market

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 15, 2012 (SKNIS)

The Ministry of Agriculture is strengthening the legal knowledge base of the Federation’s small farmers in a series of important meetings this week.

In a three part forum dubbed “Agriculture and the Law,” authorities in the Agricultural Sector will promote discussions on the recently enacted Animals (National and International Movement and Prescribed Diseases Prevention) Act, 2012 and the Agricultural Produce and Livestock (Registration of Vendors) Act, 2012.

Assistant Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Ms. Shez Dore-Tyson said the main purpose of this series of meetings is to empower farmers.

“The main purpose of this series of meetings is to ensure that farmers are empowered,” said Ms. Dore-Tyson, “that they know the law, they know what their rights are, they know where to go, who to go to, if they are having a problem.”

Experts from the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the legal fraternity are slated to be on hand to guide the discussions.

“The Ministry has undertaken to have this series of meetings to ensure that all farmers in all areas of the island are aware of their rights with regards to these two pieces of legislation” said Ms. Dore-Tyson. “We have experts who are going to be at the forums to break it down so that all farmers can understand and appreciate the move that Government is making in terms of empowering them.”

Small farmers, supermarket and shop owners, and members of the general public are invited to join the discussions on Tuesday May 15, at the Wesley Methodist Church Hall on Victoria Road, Basseterre, on Wednesday May 16, at the St. Paul’s Community Center and on Thursday May 17, at the Cayon Community Center. All meetings begin at 6:00 p.m.

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Fresh Produce Grown Locally

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 02, 2012 (CUOPM)

Government has made it abundantly clear its seriousness in the diversification of the St. Kitts and Nevis economy.

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says evidence of this was visible at last week’s agricultural exhibition although there are still some outmoded attitudes toward agriculture still exist in the minds of many.

“All over the world, agriculture means business. Agriculture means security.  Agriculture means independence.  People in other countries know and understand this, and this Government is determined that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will know and understand this as well,” said Dr. Douglas.

“No longer must we see agriculture as an old man heading to his mountain-ground, all alone at five in the morning or a frantic mother rushing to tend a few crops before dawn, on some distant plot, before heading out for a hard day’s work elsewhere. No.  That old man and that old woman did what they had to do, they did the best that they could, and we honor and respect their hard work in the face of grueling, unrelenting adversity,” said the Prime Minister.

Dr. Douglas said that agriculture moves forward and in St. Kitts and Nevis, it must been seen as a multi-faceted, dynamic and key to the security of countless economies around the world.

He commended Minister of Agriculture, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, for all that he and his ministry have been doing to ensure that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will understand the tremendous opportunities inherent in agriculture.

“Last week’s Agricultural Fair made that point abundantly clear.  As that event showed, not only is this Government determined to change our people’s attitudes toward agriculture, but the Ministry has skillfully revolutionised its approach to the “selling” of agriculture. No longer is its Agricultural Exhibition simply a day when one looks at farm produce and livestock. It has now been transformed into a lively, activity-packed period of days, with entertainment and other attractions that more effectively reminds the public of the many positive dimensions of, and possibilities associated with, the agricultural sector.  We were called Liamuiga by the Kalinago for a reason.  And last week’s Agricultural Exhibit forcefully reminded us why,” said the St. Kitts and Nevis leader.

Dr. Douglas used the opportunity to urge those with an entrepreneurial bent to undertake the necessary research, initiate the relevant discussions, think in terms of inputs, markets, yields, packaging, and so on and most of all – see agriculture as business.

“Think about and approach it with the seriousness that it deserves, and you can be assured that for those who are serious about investing the same time and energy that any other entrepreneurial enterprise demands, agriculture constitutes an open and positive path to social and economic stability. Where agriculture and other fields are concerned, we need dynamism.  We need imagination.  We need determination. But we need skills as well. Real-world, twenty-first century, marketable and competitive skills,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

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Newly Constructed Green House In Prospect
Photo by Erasmus Williams

Charlestown, Nevis
April 26, 2012

Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Joseph Parry cut the ribbon Friday at the newly commissioned Green House system at the Agricultural Station in Prospect.

Premier Parry said using the Green House system is relatively expensive, but it is modern and it is a great technology for developing farming on Nevis. He also noted the importance of having women using the less back-breaking system, and being an integral part of the farming industry.

“ It is great to see so many women in farming, becoming businesspersons and entrepreneurs,” said the Hon. Joseph Parry.

The Premier said that the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) -led Administration has been a strong advocate of small businesspersons on Nevis, especially women. He added that his government has put a program in place where small business persons/farmers could get assistance with farming aid and duty-free concessions because there is a “need to feed the people of Nevis with good local food”.

According to the Premier, there are persons who know little about agriculture, but would like to get in the business. He said it is a great way to feed the island, as similar programs have already been established in Israel and other Middle Eastern countries.

The Premier surveyed the room while speaking, and said that he noticed a number of persons with expertise in the room, and with that in tact, the island can definitely go ahead with a powerful combination of agriculture and tourism for economic progress.

The Nevis Model was an example of this combination of agriculture and tourism on the island, he said.

It was first implemented with the Four Seasons Resort Nevis and it turned out to be good, as local farmers sold their goods to the upscale hotel on a regular basis.

“What we were trying to do then was to sell food 12 months a year so that the Four Seasons Resort did not have to import certain fruits and vegetables,” said the Hon. Joseph Parry.

The Nevis Model was a marketing decision, which worked through the extension division of the Agriculture Department, and sought to give farmers tenure.

“Now, there is a system that is more modern, more sophisticated and can now be accepted in an effort to continue to grow tourism and agriculture on Nevis,” concluded the Premier.

Meanwhile, although the green house concept has been used on Nevis by some farmers, the idea has just expanded with the Ministry of Agriculture, because it is a “smarter” way to grow food, as the yield is of a better quality, there is an increase in quantity, and there is a reduction in use of pesticides.

In a quest to increase food security on Nevis, the Ministry of Agriculture was assisted financially by the Inter- American Institute for Corporation in Agriculture (IICA) represented by Mr. Augustine Merchant, while the technical support came from Caribbean Agricultural Research Development Institute (CARDI) represented by Mrs. Kathleen Titus.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Kelvin Daley has been credited for being the visionary for this project.

According to Dr, Daley, the entire project came at a cost of $150,000, which he said was much cheaper than a similar model being offered by Israel.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank LEFCO construction, the farmers, Minister of Agriculture- the Hon. Robelto Hector and the Jamaica Drip Company for all of their guidance and support for this project,” said Dr. Daley.

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