PM Harris says agriculture increased 11%; agriculture minister and director says double digit decline

While St Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris told the nation that there was an increase in the output in the agricultural sector in 2018 compared to 2017, his minister of agriculture and the director paint a different picture.

In delivering the 2019 Budget Address in December 2018, Dr Harris in his capacity as minister of finance and known for told the country that growth in the local economy was underpinned by an expansion of 11.4 per cent in the agriculture sector.

“Our total output was 945.3 metric tons in 2018 and this is less than the year before which was 1094.5, a shortfall of some 11 percent," said Director of Agriculture, Melvin James during the annual agricultural review in March.

The Department of Agriculture is being chastised for the continued shortfall in the crop and meat subsector after it was revealed that there is a $3 million gap leading to more imports.

Minister of Agriculture, Hon Eugene Hamilton blasted officials from the department for not doing enough to aid farmers to meet targets.

Hamilton during his presentation said, “I would go further to say that any food in our supply chain that is imported that we can grow here is an opportunity lost if we do not take advantage to grow those foods here. I see some important figures being presented by Mr. Clarke some as high as $3 million dollar gaps contributing to our huge import bill. It seems to me that it is an opportunity for us to stop being pedantic, including the Agriculture Department don’t think I’m leaving them out, and take advantage the opportunities that are provided by those gaps in those figures. There is no reason why $3 million dollars imported in a particular item, onions I think it was," said Hamilton.