BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ABOUT 11 percent of the farmers of St. Kitts were yesterday (Oct. 16) presented with awards for their outstanding performance in the various sub-sector of agriculture.
The ceremony was threefold, encompassing the official opening of the Department’s Pack House and the commemoration of World Food Day.
The event was held at the compound of the Agriculture Department in the Pack House before the officials of that Department, Members of Cabinet, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and farmers, among others.
The approximate 500 farmers – as has been the case for the past several years – had their farms judged by the Department’s Extension Officers and, after a tally, those individuals whose farms attracted the most points would have been declared winners of the competition.
The farms were divided into categories from which winners were selected.
Debra Hodge, Jacinth Fraser and Easton Marson were the first, second and third place winners in the One Acre Farm category while Keithroy Matthew, Wilmoth Mitchum, Denise Gillard, Eustace Jeffery and Fenola James placed first through fifth respectively in the One – Six Acre Farm category.
The Primary School Garden category was won by the Saddlers Primary School and the St. Paul’s Primary and the Edgar T. Morris Primary School placed second and third respectively.
Deon Weekes, Damian Jeffery, Kareem Carey, Valarie Connor, Nigel Walters and Otis Rogers were presented awards under the category of Staff Members Contributing to Food Security.
And for their Contribution to the Field of Agro-Processing, Tyrell Nisbett, Theresa Connor, Robertha Rawlins, Harrington Bristol, Averlyn Benjamin and Ira Liburd were presented with awards.
Winners of the Farm Size Fruit and Tree Crop category were Keithley Armstrong, Alanderson Selkridge and Tracey Peets, while Kareem Warner, Roland Mills and Aaron Hodge were named winners of the Fruit and Tree Crop category.
Keithley Matthew was named Crops Farmer of the Year.
The Fishermen – who have toiled equally hard during the year - were not omitted from the awards ceremony.
The categories under which they were judged include Reef Pot Fishing, Lobster Harvesting, Conch harvesting and Coastal Pelagics.
Winners included Joseph Williams, Todville Peets, Melvin Gumbs, Jack Spencer, Berly Francis, Charles Stephens, Dion Wharton, Larry Liddie and Wilfred Benjamin.
Special prices were also given to Dr. Barrington Browne, Yvonne Lawrence, Michael Samuel, Darwin Francis, Berly Francis and Chris Dorsette.
Todville Peets of Old Road was named FAO Fisher of the Year 2013.
The awards were monetary and ranged from EC$200 to EC$2 100.
