St Kitts and Nevis: PM Drew continues farm visits in Upper Monkey Hill

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, visited Upper Monkey Hill to meet two local farmers named 'Nasa' and 'Roosh'. The meeting aimed to discuss their agricultural-tourism plan.

In the meeting, PM Drew discussed the 25 by 25 agenda and said that the Government aims to reduce the imports of food products by 25 percent by 2025. This is a target set by the CARICOM Heads of Government.

Under this Agenda, the Government is paying attention to main food crops and products such as corn, meat including sheep, goat and beef, fish, soya, rice and niche vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, onions and tomatoes, as these are highly imported in the region.

This Agenda also targets the increased production of fruits, roots and tubers, herbs and spices and livestock, focusing on poultry.

During the meeting in Upper Monkey Hill with the local farmer, Dr Drew talked about the initiatives taken by the agricultural minister and the Government to achieve their goal.

He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Agricultural Minister who started this Agenda. He stated, "I strongly support initiatives like this. Thanks to the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Samal Duggins, for his competent and strong leadership on the 25/25 agenda." Notably, the Prime Minister also met Keithley Armstrong, a leading farmer at Armstrong Farms in St Kitts and Nevis, to discuss the same agenda, i.e. 25 by 25, showing the government's prioritization towards the agriculture sector. [caption id="attachment_67618" align="aligncenter" width="100%"] PM Terrance Drew meets local farmer Armstrong, discusses 25 by 25 agenda (PC - Facebook)[/caption]

In addition to this, Minister of Agriculture Samal Duggins is also taking many initiatives to support this agenda. He commissioned new tractors for land cultivation in St Kitts, easing the farmers' work and ultimately leading to more food production on the island.

According to Duggins, a significant portion of the federation's food import bill of nearly $200 million can go directly to local producers and farmers.

The Government aims to make St Kitts and Nevis a food-secure and sustainable island state through Agriculture.