St Kitts and Nevis farmers join hands with Agriculture Ministry to achieve 25 by 25 agenda

St Kitts and Nevis: Minister of Agriculture Samal Duggins announced that more than 120 dedicated farmers of St Kitts and Nevis have committed to growing specific crops with a shared goal of 25 by 25. Under this goal, the island aims to achieve a 25% reduction in the food import bill by 2025. The Minister felt thrilled to share this remarkable milestone in the farming community and said the government is committed to achieving this goal set by CARICOM.

The Department of Agriculture convened its first of two 25 by 25 Crop Farmer Commodity Meetings on Wednesday evening, where the farmers who have committed to planting watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes and sweet peppers were given the opportunity to dialogue with top officials about their involvement in this critical goal.

The government of St Kitts and Nevis in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture is doing alot to enhance the food production capacity on the island.

During the meeting, Minister Duggins said the Crop Production Agenda is part of the ministry's phased approach to achieving the 25 by 25 agenda target, taking into account every step of the value chain.

He outlined that what this means for the farmers is that they will produce all that people need locally, which will be the first target. Duggins further added that following the attainment of this target, "Whatever St. Eustatius needs, whatever St. Maarten needs and whatever is needed in the Virgin Islands, we will provide."

Several of the participating farmers received their certificates of participation given to them by Minister Duggins during the meeting.

He aimed to honour the farmers' commitment and partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources as the government embarks on the journey of reaching the 25 by 25 target.

The crop farmers were also praised during the handover ceremony for joining the Ministry of Agriculture in this endeavour. They were also reminded that these certificates will represent the government's commitment to providing necessary inputs and materials to help food producers fulfil the Crop Production Agenda.

In addition to this, Samal Duggins also noted that another certificate distribution will be held on Thursday evening at 5 pm in the Large Conference Room of the Department of Agriculture, La Guerite St Kitts.