BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE government is establishing a new system by which land allocation for agricultural production will be expedited.
The announcement of this new scheme came during Monday’s (Feb. 9) Post-Cabinet Briefing which was delivered by Minister of State Hon. Nigel Carty.
According to Carty, Cabinet Chairman and Minister of Lands, the Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, provided an update concerning the most recent decisions taken at Friday’s (Feb. 6) Land Committee Meeting.
The Prime Minister revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture would be allocated large tracts of land which it would manage, and during the current week the Director of Lands and Surveys, Calvin Esdaille, and the Director of Agriculture, Ashton Stanley, would conduct a field trip to identify lands suitable for this project.
Douglas stated this would obviate the need for the Ministry of Sustainable Development to become involved in land distribution for agriculture on a per farmer basis. He stressed that this new procedure would expedite land allocation to farmers who had been applying for more agricultural lands.
The Committee meets every Friday to determine all matters related to land distribution. Its purpose is to reduce the bureaucratic lag in land distribution and to make specific decisions on a weekly basis regarding land distribution. At the last meeting, matters related to land to be used for NHC housing were finalised.
Membership is comprised of Dr. Douglas; Esdaille; Stanley; Minister of Agriculture Hon. Cedric Liburd; Permanent Secretary (PS) for Sustainable Development, Hilary Hazel; PS for Housing and Agriculture, Dr. Hermia Morton-Anthony; Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Agriculture, Charles Williams; and General Manager of the National Housing Corporation (NHC), Wayland Vaughan.
The declaration of this new expedited process comes at a time when Douglas has vigorously asserted his government’s dedication to providing land for housing, commercial and industrial development, and agricultural production.
At a press conference last week, the Prime Minister revealed that 285 acres of land have been committed to the Special Land Distribution Initiative, resulting in the creation of 1 395 lots.
Additionally, he announced that 70 acres in the Estridge, Phillips, Mansion and Old Road areas would be leased to businesses and small farmers to facilitate the expansion of their crop and livestock production.
