By John Denny
Nevis Reporter
(Prospect, Nevis) – The Department of Agriculture will be hosting the 4th annual Fruit Festival at The Villa Grounds in Charlestown today, Friday June 27. The focus of the Fruit Festival will be on locally grown fruits, according to the Director of Agriculture Dr. Kelvin Daly.
“Our objective of the festival is to increase the consumption of locally grown fruit,” said Dr. Daly. “With the importation of so much fruit from places like the United States, many of the people of Nevis have moved away from eating what we grow right here. It has gone to the point that some people don’t even know what we grow here because they have grown used to eating things like apples and strawberries. Some even think we grow those fruits here, so we are trying to raise awareness to the fact that locally grown fruit is more nutritious and safer and that we lower the chances of importing diseases.”
While the premise is the same as in previous years, there is a specific goal to revisit the island’s history in terms of food production on the island, he added.
In that regard, banana production would be the focus for the event and heavy emphasis would be placed on its versatility.
The Director also spoke of the benefits that the Festival would bring to the farmers.
“It is free advertising for them as the Department sponsors the entire event,” Dr. Daly said.
Over the years, the island’s agro-processors have reaped the most benefits from the Festival, said Dr. Daly
“The Department has always put on a good show so we cannot perceive anything less than good support,” he said.
Agriculture Minister in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Robelto Hector, on June 22, offered congratulations to the organizers Fruit Festival.
He said the Fair which would be celebrated under the theme “Fruits – an essential part of a healthy diet”, comes at a time when the price of food globally was on the rise and so too there had been an increase in several food related health concerns. The event he noted would assist Nevis in its quest for food security.
“I want to congratulate the Department and the Ministry in their effort to sensitize Nevis on what’s going on in the world and how important agriculture and food security is to Nevis,” Minister Hector said.
The festival is slated to commence from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and the public is encouraged to attend.
