BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — AGRICULTURE Minister Samal Duggins has pledged that the government is committed to ensuring St. Kitts and Nevis plays a leading role in advancing sustainable agriculture.
The minister made the commitment on Thursday during his opening address at the 2025 Agriculture Open Day in Basseterre, part of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) now underway in the Federation.
“I want to give my commitment to our local, regional, and international stakeholders that St. Kitts and Nevis is ready to play whatever role it can in global sustainability within agriculture. The road will be long, the world will be tough,” Duggins told attendees.
His remarks come as the government accelerates its sustainable island agenda—an initiative aimed at making the Federation self-sufficient across all sectors.
With this year’s CWA focused on strengthening the region’s agriculture sector, Duggins acknowledged that the path to sustainability will not be easy. However, he urged collaboration and persistence, noting that "If we put our heads together and put our actions in motion, as tough as the road is, as long and arduous as the journey may be, it will all be worth it in the end".
The regional push aligns with the “25 by 2025” initiative, which seeks to boost food security across the Caribbean by reducing the region’s US $3 billion annual food import bill by 25 percent before the end of this year. Governments are expected to achieve this target by significantly increasing local food production.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, the government has partnered with regional and international stakeholders to provide greater support for farmers and fishers. According to Duggins, these efforts are already showing results.
“We have seen our fishery sector more than double in revenue over the last few years. We have seen our crop sector thriving. We have crops like bananas, plantains, pumpkins, and a number of other crops are now skyrocketing in terms of production,” the minister noted.
He stressed that the growth must be sustainable and inclusive, particularly by engaging young farmers to build resilience for the future.
The two-day Agriculture Open Day is being hosted along the Kim Collins Highway.
