By L.K. Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
Minister of Agriculture, Housing, Fisheries and Co-Operatives Hon. Cedric Liburd says he feels that agro-processing is a viable industry for St. Kitts. During his media press conference, the minister said that agro processing was very important to development of non-sugar agriculture.
“If we are going establish more commercial farming what it means is that thirty percent of your produce will not be up to standard and therefore you have to find other uses for it. Agro processing is the best area for that thirty percent that will not be able to reach the shelves. Over the past few years we have developed an agro-processing plant at the SSMC compound with the support of the Republic of China on Taiwan. I want to say that over the last two years we have seen some products and training of our people, especially former sugar workers. I have given a directive that we must have someone trained to take over from the Taiwanese specialist so that we will be able to carry the process forward,” he said.
Liburd said that he would like to see St. Kitts get into agro processing on a commercial level that could sustain the growth of the industry and profitability for local farmers.
“When you look at the Agricultural Open Day that we had in April, you would have realised that quite a bit of agro processed products were on display. That is the way that we are proposing to go. We want to make sure that we are able to add value to the products of the farmers because this is an area where they will have the opportunity to make even more money in the future,” he said.
In his address, Liburd said that he had approved a strategic plan for non-sugar agriculture development for the period of 22005 to 2009 that provided specific programmes for the development of food crop, livestock, fruit tree orchards and floriculture.
“My ministry has submitted for the consideration of the Ministry of Sustainable Development some land proposals which include 467.5 acres for food crops, 75 acres for pig production, 26.5 acres for floriculture and 177 for commercial grazing. This makes a total of 746 acres of land that is needed. In addition, the government has approved a joint project called the emergency support project for some former sugar workers with the Food and Agriculture Organisation. The project started in May last year with the FAO contributing US three hundred and ninety-three thousand dollars towards inputs, seeds, fertilizer, and land preparation. The government contributed 300 acres of land to the project. In November, the project was evaluated and due to its success, it was agreed that the FAO would contribute an additional fifty-five thousand US dollars to extend the project that will end in December of this year,” he stated.
Liburd continued to say that the raising of livestock on the South East Peninsula is adversely affecting the fragile environment and is a major impediment to planned development for the prime real estate area.
“In an effort to solve this problem, we’ve held meetings with Joseph Huggins, who is the owner of most of the animals, and the Department of Agriculture (DOA). Huggins has agreed to relocate the animals and has already transferred some of them to lands at Conn Phipps and Godwin. The DOA made the lands available and Huggins has fenced these lands based on DOA recommendations,” he said.
He also added that Bayfords, an area once used for the rearing of animals including cattle, was being re-organised to once again accommodate pig and cattle farming.
