Farmers Urged To Develop Sustainable Food Production

St. Kitts Farmers Discuss Sustainable Agriculture Photo By Erasmus Williams Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis February 11, 2009 (CUOPM) Farmers in St. Kitts – Nevis have been told that ways must be found to sustain the increasing vegetable yields with …

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New Farm Site Will Usher In New Food & Fruit Crops

Signing Of New Technical Cooperation Agreement Photo By Erasmus Williams Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis February 03, 2009 (CUOPM) The new site for the Demonstration Farm to be operated by the Agricultural Technical Mission of the Republic of China on …

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Nevis Agriculture Minister Speaks Out To Producers

Nevis Agricultural Minister - Robelto Hector

Nevis Agricultural Minister – Robelto Hector (C)

Charlestown, Nevis
September 24, 2008

Minister of Agriculture on Nevis Hon. Robelto Hector, told members of the Nevis Agro Processors, and St. Kitts Farmers Cooperatives and the Nevis Growers Association, that they should use a multiplying effect with any assistance they received from donor agencies. The advice came as he welcomed Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados and the OECS His Excellency David Marshall to Nevis, on September 22, 2008, at Prospect.

“Let us not have boundaries let us see to it that we can be greater exporters, let us see to it that we can assist import substitution, let us see to it that we can make sure that food security is alive and well and its because of you,” he said.

Mr. Hector thanked the Ambassador for the Canadian Governments continued assistance to Nevis, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He noted that at least 90 percent of Caribbean students had received scholarships to pursue studies in agriculture and today the islands were benefiting from agriculture including Nevis.

The High Commissioner used the opportunity to congratulate the Cooperatives in their efforts on how far they had come and assured of the Canadian Government’s continued assistance.

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Nevis Receives Donation From Canadian Fund

Mr. Augustine Merchant

Mr. Augustine Merchant

Charlestown, Nevis
June 09, 2008

The Nevis Growers Cooperative was on Friday June 06, 2008, the recipient of a cheque in the amount of $58 139.33 from the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI).

The donation was a joint effort between the CFLI and the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IAICA).

Minister of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Robelto Hector, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Pearlivan Wilkin, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) Representative Mr. Augustine Merchant, President of the Nevis Growers Cooperative Mrs. Muriel Emontine Thompson, farmers and staff of the Ministry of Agriculture attended the donation ceremony.

The Minister addressed the gathering and shared his delight with the generous contribution made by the donors.

“I am one who feels and as a government, we have ensured that directed finances [go] to [the agro processors to] ensure that the agro-processing unit is realised.  I am one who really feels that we are at that stage now when we can begin to explore our export potential,” Minister Hector said.

He also offered words of encouragement to the farmers to work towards the island’s food security.

“We must be organised, we must be growing from strength to strength, we must not be destructive.  We must make sure that at the end, we are supporting each other and we are moving towards the general good of ensuring food security, not only for the island of Nevis but the Caribbean as a whole and that would be our contribution towards the global issue,” he said.

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Nevis Agriculture Minister Happy About Sea Cotton Crop

Nevis Agricultural Minister Hector

Nevis Agricultural Minister (center) Inspects Cotton

Charlestown, Nevis
May 19, 2008

Minister of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration Hon. Robelto Hector expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Department of Agriculture on Nevis  for its successful revival of cotton production after a four year absence. The crop he said was one filled with export potential for the island.
 
The Minister made the comment on May 19, 2008, while he toured the Sea Island Cotton ginning operations at the New River Ginnery. He was accompanied by Director of Agriculture on Nevis Dr. Kelvin Daly and Small Farm Equipment Pool Manager Mr. John Parris, overseer of the ginning operations.
 
 “I am extremely happy with the performance of the Department in realising a cotton crop this year. As I have said, we must export something and truly we are seeing once again the revival of an export crop which can generate foreign exchange for this country.
 
“As a government we are committed. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Director, the Ministry of Agriculture and the farmers who participated in making this crop a success,” he said.
 
Dr. Daly explained that the cotton was being prepared for export sometime during the summer months and explained that the crop was a successful one when considered that they were out of production for four years and the Department began the project from scratch in 2007.
 
Despite the success of the crop, he pointed to a number of challenges which had been encountered along the way.

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