BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan.12.2018 – Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan, His Excellence Chiou Gow Wei yesterday handed over the Vegetable, Fruit and Upland Crop Quality and Safety Improvement (VFUCQSI) Project Facility, to Minister of Agriculture, Eugene Hamilton.
Located in Needsmust, the facility is used as a testing location for farm produced grown in the federation, and according to Minister Hamilton, over 4000 locally grown crops have already been tested. With the aid of a new facility, farmers in St. Kitts and Nevis are able to provide high quality produce to hotels and the public alike.
The VFUCQSI is being viewed as an important one, according to Hamilton, who told the gathering that back in 2016 the government was receiving information that hotels were concerned about purchasing goods from local producers.
“I am pleased today to learn that through many samples, we have proven that the quality and production of food in St. Kitts and Nevis, is something around 98 percent within the good quality range for consumption.”
Project Manager, Augustine Nwosu in giving an overview of the project said it was established in March of 2014, and is a joint partnership between the government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the People of Taiwan.
Since its inception, Nwosu said the project had vigorously pursued its objectives despite many challenges, with the primary mandate being to improve “quality and safety of agriculture produce, and boost agriculture produce in St. Kitts and Nevis”.
There are two labs, one on St. Kitts and the other on Nevis. All tests conducted on produce free of cost to farmers.
