Farming

Nevis Premier Asks For More Locally Grown Produce

Nevis' Premier Parry With Vendors

Nevis’ Premier Parry With Market Vendors

Charlestown, Nevis
April 25, 2008

“We have to look at the cost of food and the rising cost of living in general. The government has taken steps by reducing land prices and we are also taking steps in reducing duty on a number of items; but we must grow more food and find more ways and means to reduce the cost of living,” said Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Joseph Parry.

Premier Parry made the address at the Fourteenth Annual Open Day Agricultural Fair at the Villa Grounds of the Charlestown Secondary School.  He did the honours on behalf of Minister of Agriculture, Hon Robelto Hector, who was in Japan attending to government business.

Local and Taiwanese fruits and vegetables, Caribbean Cuisine and livestock will be on display on Friday, April 25th following Thursday’s formal opening. This year’s theme is “Micro Farming: The Driving force for Agriculture: Past, Present and Future.”

The Patron this year is 95 year old Mr. George Sutton of Butlers Village,  who, in his heyday, worked as an Agricultural Officer/ Supervisor at Eden Browne, Maddens, New River, Potworks and a number of other estates around the island.

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Nevis Agriculture Is Rated Tops In Region

Charlestown, Nevis
April 24, 2008

Director of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Mr. Kelvin Daly revealed that under the new Administration the Department had improved agriculture on Nevis, which has made the island the envy of other countries in the region.
 
Mr. Daly made the revelation at the Villa in Charlestown at the opening Ceremony for the 14th annual Agricultural Open Day on Thursday, April 24, 2008, under the Theme: “Micro Farming: The Driving Force for Agriculture Past, Present and Future,”
 
“Many islands in the region have called for advice from Nevis because they recognise what we are doing is significant. In the next two weeks we would be having a group from Anguilla who are concerned about returning to farming
 
“It’s amazing how much resource was put into other areas and agriculture was left on the doorstep but the times are changing and what we’re saying all along is proving to be true you can’t turn your back on agriculture. We in Nevis are positioned to leap forward ahead of the region despite criticisms that we are not doing enough in agriculture,” Director Daly said
 
Dr. Daly expounded on the importance of micro farming which he said was more than planting plants in the backyard. He said the Department had on display an extension of varied micro farming methods.

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St. Kitts – Nevis Reducing Dependency On Food Imports

St. Kitts - Nevis Pineapple Farm

St. Kitts – Nevis Pineapple Farm
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
April 23, 2008 (CUOPM)

The Labour Government’s expanded land distribution to small farmers is testimony of the administration’s empowerment of the people and commitment to food security.

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said food security and reducing the nation’s high food import bill are priorities for his Labour Party administration.

Following the allocation of some 100 acres of land to farmers in Estridge, Mansion, Phillips’ and Old Road, 44 more farmers have received 80 additional acres of land in the Fahie’s Agricultural Belt, bringing to 224 acres of land made available for farming in what is called “the Bread Basket of St. Kitts.”

“This reflects my government’s commitment to empower the ordinary man and woman in St. Kitts and Nevis in the all important area of agriculture and food security,” said Dr. Douglas at his Press Conference on Tuesday.

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Former St. Kitts – Nevis Sugar Lands Serving The Nation

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
April 09, 2008 (CUOPM)

St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas says the former sugar lands are being used for the social development and empowerment of nationals.

Speaking at a ceremony to allocate 80 acres of land to 44 farmers, Dr. Douglas said land has been allocated for agriculture, construction of houses for local homeowners, churches, schools, community centres and new businesses thus providing for entrepreneurship and job opportunities in the development of the national economy.

“Social development means that we are providing the land for housing. You now have the opportunity to own your homes on your plot of land and not paying rent as you did to the planter of the old days. The house lots are now yours, distributed through the National Housing Corporation (NHC) or through the Special Land Initiative of the Ministry of Sustainable Development,” said Dr. Douglas.

He said the land is also being used in the social development and empowerment of the people by providing land for the building of churches.

“We have a lot of churches in St. Kitts and Nevis and some of them still do not have land,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who pointed out that his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government since taking office has been distributing land to several church denominations “so that our people can as a congregation continue to worship God and to give their praises to God.”

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St. Kitts – Nevis Allocates 44 Acres Of Land To Farmers

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
April 9, 2008 (CUOPM)

Two days after a Cabinet announcement that some 100 acres of land was allocated to local farmers in Estridge, Mansion, Phillips’ and Old Road, the St. Paul’s Community Center was the venue for re-settling 44 farmers on 80 acres of land in the Fahie’s Agricultural Belt, bringing to 240 acres the amount of land made available for farming in an area called “the Bread Basket of St. Kitts.”

“It is an exercise that will continue the empowerment of the ordinary man and woman in St. Kitts and Nevis and in particular our small farmers,” Prime Minister and Parliamentary Representative, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said at the ceremony at which the farmers signed contracts for the lease of the land they will cultivate under the “Small Holdings Act. “

“This empowers you to have the right to plots of land and give that right to develop that land by farming and making a living from that land and contributing to the provision of food not only for your families, but your neighbours and visitors to St. Kitts ad Nevis,” said Dr. Douglas, who disclosed that some 1,000 acres of land has been earmarked for agriculture in the area stretching from Newton Ground to Bellevue.

The leased land allocated to the farmers will be given rent-free for the first two years and would be extended for several years once the land is continued to be used for farming.

Prime Minister Douglas told the farmers that they have a very important role to play in the development of St. Kitts and Nevis as agriculture is critical to play in the continued development of the twin-island Federation.

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