St Kitts and Nevis plants first seedlings of Tabasco Pepper, marking huge milestone

St Kitts and Nevis, on November 6, 2024, celebrated a huge milestone in its journey towards self-reliance and economic resilience with the plantation of first Tabasco Pepper seedlings at Fashies Estate Newtown Ground.

The government, through its Ministry of Agriculture, reached a significant moment by planting the first batch of Tabasco pepper seedlings in St Kitts and Nevis and it also marked the official launch of the Department of Agriculture Tabasco Pepper Experimental Plot Project.

This project is a partnership between the Government of St Kitts and Nevis and worldwide popular brand TABASCO.

The collaboration forms part of the SEED - Sustainable Economic Expansion and Diversification initiative which is a forward thinking government program strived at shifting the island away from dependency on the Citizenship by Investment Programme and also towards sustainable agriculture and local food production.

According to the information, the government strives to diversify the economy through SEED and reduce reliance on external income sources while boosting food security for generations to come.

In addition to this, this collaboration with this globally renowned brand is a significant boost to the agricultural sector of the country which is central to the SEED initiative. TABASCO is known for its iconic hot sauce and brings with it expertise in sustainable farming practices along with access to international markets.

During his address at the brief ceremony held at the Fashies Estate, PM Drew stated that through this initiative, St Kitts and Nevis can now look forward to increased agricultural productivity, creation of new jobs and a more robust economy which is capable of withstanding global economic pressures.

He outlined, “This concept of having Tabasco here started with a conversation, a conversation with the Minister of Agriculture and our Special Envoy, Her Excellency Hadiya Claxton, who herself would have introduced us to the Tabasco.”

The Prime Minister and the determination was made then that St Kitts and Nevis has the potential to be a producer or grower of this pepper and now the Federation can actually grow it and export it back to Louisiana so that it can be processed into the end product, which is the pepper sauce.

He emphasized that this significant partnership will definitely see St Kitts and Nevis moving forward in the right direction. “We know Tobasco is the widest distributed pepper sauce in the world and for St Kitts and Nevis to be part of that ecosystem, for us to have a partnership with such a global institution speaks volumes.”

PM Drew noted that this will surely provide a lot of jobs as the island will be selling back to the company that will bring foreign exchange to St Kitts and Nevis. He mentioned that it would help people to transition from one area of work into another area of work in a sustainable way.

“This can actually help to pay for our workers here in St Kitts and Nevis, reducing the burden on the state, especially in our Step program, and creating jobs so that people can help to establish themselves and their lives,” he further added. 

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Samal Duggins also addressed the attendees and called the project as revolutionary and said that he is proud to be part of the A Team and to be part of a cabinet of members that puts the agenda of St Kitts and Nevis at the forefront. 

He noted that this is not just about peppers but about the promise of a resilient and self-sufficient economy which is built on the soil. He further expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for working on this vision and fostering sustainable economic growth in St Kitts and Nevis.