St Kitts and Nevis: Agricultural sector up by a third in early 2017

The agriculture sector grew 33.9% during the first quarter of 2017, the prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis has announced.

Speaking during his 2018 budget address yesterday, Timothy Harris attributed part of the jump to the increased in fishing and crop sub-sectors, which expanded by 72.6% and 4.3% respectively.

Transforming fishing from an artisanal industry to a larger commercialised offering played its part, he noted.

“My Team Unity government has long acknowledged the benefits of establishing linkages between agriculture and other sectors,” Harris said.

“Substantial work has been undertaken to develop a synergy between agriculture and other sectors.”

Emphasis on local

During his speech, the prime minister told the National Assembly that his administration had negotiated with a number of hotels in the country to include more local products on their menus as part of a ‘buy local, eat local’ initiative.

Harris said he was pleased with the response, singling out the new Park Hyatt hotel.

“I use this opportunity to make special mention to Park Hyatt St Kitts, which has expressed its commitment to purchasing all local produce and has provided the Department of Agriculture with a list of 50 products that the hotel would be interested in sourcing locally,” he said.

High demand will lead to further investment by the government in the agriculture sector, Harris added.