Agriculture Minister Cedric Liburd featured in Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper
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| St. Kitts and Nevis' Minister of Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Cedric Liburd |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, NOVEMBER 12TH, 2007 (CUOPM) – With the closure of the centuries-old sugar industry, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has seen a near 70 percent increase in agricultural produce for the first quarter of this year over the same period last year.
So says Minister of Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Cedric Liburd in an interview with Jamaica’s Gleaner Newspaper, Business Reporter, John Myers Jr.
The full Report, carried below, noted that St. Kitts-Nevis locked down its sugar industry and placed 1,500 persons out of work and created some uncertainty about how the small economy would cope.
Two years later, the country of 39,000 says the move has actually boosted agricultural output, and placed the economy in better shape.
“St. Kitts and Nevis made that decision in 2005 and since then, the economy has realised growth,” said Cedric Liburd, Minister of Housing, Agriculture, Fisheries and Consumer Affairs, speaking with the Financial Gleaner while on a visit to Jamaica.
“For the first quarter of this year we have seen an increase by 67.9 per cent in our agricultural produce over last year.”
St. Kitts’ economy grew 4.1 percent in 2005 and was estimated by the International Monetary Fund to have improved by 4.6 percent in 2006, despite the closure of the sugar industry.~~Adz:Right~~
The sector's decline began three-decades earlier in the 1970s, racking up debts along the way, but hit critical mass with the European Union’s planned phased 36 percent cut in price paid to its preferential suppliers to comply with World Trade Organisation directives.
St. Kitts’ resolve was further strengthened by indications that preferential access to the EU by imports from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping would continue to be removed, even if gradually.
So, in July 2005, the tiny country of 261 square miles turned the keys on its factory doors for the last time.
At that time, the state-sponsored industry was losing some EC$30 million annually with debts of EC$350 million. Since then, the debt has climbed to EC$400 million.
The decision, however, prompted soul-searching on how to contain the social slide that would have resulted from putting low-skill workers out of their jobs. The answer was to make them self-sufficient.
Liburd said some 300 acres of land were divided among 100 former sugar workers to produce crops for local consumption.
He said emphasis was placed on growing sweet potato, pumpkin and peanut. Others were trained and given jobs in the hotel industry, landscaping and construction.
In fact, with sugar gone, tourism has emerged as the mainstay of the economy and St. Kitts’ biggest earner.
“We were able to put together a project proposal and seek funding from the FAO who provided us with EC$1 million and the Government was able to put in place 300 acres of land for 100 farmers - three acres each,” said Liburd.
~~Adz:Left~~The funds from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, a United Nations agency, was used as seed capital for farm inputs, so that the farmers “did not have to use any money whatsoever for the first crop,” said the Agriculture Minister.
The first plantings resulted in a bumper crop.
“It was very successful,” said Liburd. “In fact, since then the FAO has come about and reviewed the project and they have indicated that they might put in another US$60,000 to assist the farmers.” That outturn has prompted farmers to diversify.
“Now we are more looking at the production of pork,” Liburd revealed, under plans to develop the meat market.
“In St. Kitts and Nevis we are trying to build standards for the various pig pens or sties so that we can develop not just the food crops, but we are now into the meat crops.”
In the meantime, the St. Kitts government is in the process of preparing to sell some 1,200 acres of the estimated 4,000 hectares of land owned by the state controlled St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation to offset some of the EC$400 million debt.
The country's sole sugar factory located in the capital city, Basseterre, is to be transformed into a museum and marketed at tourists.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is now considering seriously the future of ethanol by using the lands from sugar,” Liburd added.
A portion will also be used to develop large commercial farms to produce specialised crops for the growing tourism industry and for export to neighbouring islands. The government has also agreed to assist those persons who were without housing to acquire property.
“As the minister also responsible for housing, we have put together a project proposal for over 250 houses and we have just received US$10 million to get that done,” said Liburd.
“That project is due to start in November,” said Liburd.
