Last Updated on July 3, 2024, 7:42 AM AST by Anthony Morris
St. Kitts and Nevis: The Agriculture Ministry of St. Kitts and Nevis launched a 25 by 25 Backyard Garden Initiative and Tree Planting Ceremony. The launch took place at the Government’s House, Springfield, St. Kitts.
The ceremony and initiative were held on 3 July, 2024 and these are introduced under the theme, “Sustainable Agriculture for Everyone.”
Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dame Marcella Liburd proudly planted the first tree leading the initiative. She highlighted the importance of this programme and its potential to reshape the agricultural landscape of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, et al., Samal Duggins stated that the Sustainable Agriculture for Everyone programme is a reflection of his vision, not only as the minister but also as a dedicated farmer.
This programme aims to promote sustainable agriculture practices and ensure food security for all citizens, specifically backyard gardeners.
“We’re putting wealth into the hands of our people by ensuring every interested household in the Federation receives a plant and is actively engaged,” mentioned Samal Duggins.
Through a partnership with the National Housing Cooperation, each new house will come with a plant. This initiative tackles the crucial issue of food security and places agriculture at the forefront of the economic growth and development.
The Sustainable Agriculture initiative is part of the government’s 25 by 25 agenda, the prime objective focusing on increase in food production by 25% by the year 2025. Under this initiative, the agriculture ministry will significantly provide seedlings such as Bananas, Plantain, and coconut plants to plant in their backyards.
By providing seedlings to the backyard gardeners, sustainable agriculture practice is promoted and the individuals are empowered to grow their own food, contributing to food security and improvement of overall health and well-being of citizens.
Considerably, the country is making significant changes in transforming local food production and reducing the reliance of import of goods.
The prime objective of 25 by 25 agenda is to reduce the food import bills and the reports have said that the bills would reduce the annual amount of $140 million food import bills. This would also lead to an overall reduction of $35 million.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
