By Liz Rahaman
Twenty-one displaced SSMC workers, who suffered economic loses as a result of last year’s closure of the sugar industry, yesterday embarked on a two-week training program in the area of agro-processing of dried fruits and the making of jams and jellies.
The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Embassy of Taiwan Technical Mission facilitated the training course, which has been instrumental in the establishment of a mini agro-processing plant at the SSMC Transition Management Office at Needsmust.
Cedric Liburd, the Minister with responsibility for the agricultural sector, declared the workshop opened, and impressed upon the participants to make full use of the opportunity presented to them in paving the way for them to become economically independent.
“This is another way where we want to try and help especially those coming from the sugar industry to find an opportunity to be self-employed and to get themselves into other types of business.
“We want to say to those persons who have pepper sauce there is an opportunity for you. Any area of agro-processing, I am saying to you, you have a golden opportunity now.”
Minister Liburd, while thanking the Taiwanese Ambassador John Liu for making the project a reality by making available the necessary equipment, spoke of the various types of business opportunities open to entrepreneurs.
He recalled that at the 2005 Agriculture Day he observed locally made wine on sale and disclosed that it was his ministry’s intention to transform the cottage industry into a more economically viable one.
In this context too, he disclosed that his department is working assiduously to help farmers with the marketing of their products.
“We now want to formalise it, we want to move towards making sure that the matter of bottling and packaging are in place so that we can now have proper products, well bottled and well packaged for the local consumption as well as the regional markets.”
He recalled that on a recent trip to Venezuela, he was taken to a supermarket where he witnessed the bottling of sugar-cane juice for the local and export markets and encouraged the participants to explore the possibility of this initiative.
“We are looking to see how we can develop things like these so that some small entrepreneurs can get themselves involved into cane juice and other things and to make sure that the thousands of tourists that visit our shore have something unique from St. Kitts to take back and also to participate in while they are here in St. Kitts and Nevis.
So I want to say to you that as Minister, we are out there working to make sure that we find the opportunity for you to benefit from and for you to really become your own boss here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” Liburd said.
Minister Liburd told the participants that come May 31 when the facility is schedule to be officially opened, he expects that their products would be on display to show the community the possibilities and opportunities open to all nationals to assist in reducing the large importation of food into the country.
In his opening remarks Ambassador Liu said agro processing is very important in helping the small businessperson to earn his own income.
It is good to produce some value added products he added, “it can increase your income and at the same time to lessen the import of these products from overseas to the local market.”
He explained that the training courses conducted by Mr. Hwang Ruey Shey, would be done in phases, but that the immediate focus would be on the pineapple, papaya, carambola, banana, mango and jujube.
At the end of the 14-day training course the 21 participants would be presented with certificates.
