BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - LOCAL agriculture officials, led by Minister Alexis Jeffers, have charted a new course for the local sector which is expected to bring benefits to all involved by creating jobs, reducing the food import bill and the dependency on non-healthy foods.
Currently, there is a high dependency on imported foods, from canned products to those that are highly processed.
Local health officials have blamed that dependency on the uptick in the number of cases of Non-Communicable Diseases, including Cancers, Hypertension and Heart Diseases.
In the new vision outlined for the sector, tackling the dependency on imported foods and the implication on the local health sector is of paramount importance for Minister Jeffers.
“...we seek to provide safe, fresh, nutritious food which will help to reduce the incidents of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as Diabetes, Stroke, High Blood Pressure, Heart Attacks and Obesity,” he told the gathering of farmers and other stakeholders at the recently held annual State of the Agriculture Review and Consultation.
He explained that the new vision for the sector is one that is more technologically-driven, competitive, market-driven and contributes to the overall development of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Our commitment to an expanded agriculture economy will improve the health of our people. Expanding access to fresh, healthy locally grown products enhances the ability of our families, schools and institutions to serve nutritious and well-balanced meals,” the Minister added.
All of this, he noted, would be seeking to add more to the foreign exchange savings by reducing the current food import bill.
It was just recently that Premier Mark Brantley disclosed that for last year alone, where the dependency on imported foods was increased due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, that Nevis imported more than $20 million of foods that could have been grown on the island.
But Jeffers is looking at the broader picture to ensure that farmers are entrepreneurial and should begin hiring more people by creating jobs and advancing the development of the Federation's economy.
The Minister explained that “our efforts are further aimed at promoting agro-business enterprises, which can assist in the production of jobs and the reduction of the unemployment levels here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis”.
“We propose to do so through partnerships. The Ministry is committed to continuing our partnership with our national, regional and international donors and technical cooperative agencies in support of the implementation of our work plan,” he disclosed.
Additionally, he highlighted that strengthening the relationship with partner agencies across the region is critical to increase and improve the local research capabilities.
By treasuring those partnerships, the Minister noted, the Government is looking to expand the sector in order for it to benefit from growth and productivity.
The Minister also told the farmers that there are opportunities for new avenues for expanded food enterprise development in the sector.
