Department Of Agriculture Honors The Federation’s “Food Heroes”
Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 18th , 2020 (ZIZ News): The Department of Agriculture recognized the federation’s farmers in a prize giving ceremony held at the department’s conference room on Thursday October 15th, 2020.
Shanique Harvey has the details….
The prize giving ceremony comes as part of the Department of Agriculture’s week of activities to commemorate World Food Day on October 16th 2020.
The awards were given across three categories, the crop sector, livestock sub-sector and the marine resources department.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine resources, Hon. Alexis Jeffers spoke of the profitability of the Agricultural Sector noting that this can help to transform the sector over the next 5 years.
“Agriculture can pay, “Yellow” (Leon Antony-Farmer) is an example many other examples inside here as well too and that is why I have this gut feeling that over the next 5 years we can transform agriculture. I have said to the persons in the ministry and the department that we have to be able to build relationships with our farmers at all levels. We depend on our farmers tremendously for them to produce. For them to produce, they need what is necessary, the infrastructure and all of the implement and all of the inputs that are needed to make agriculture that success that it can be.”
He also reaffirmed the ministry and the department’s commitment to providing the needs of the farmers despite the challenges.
“I want to make that commitment this evening that the Department and Ministry of Agriculture in St. Kitts ….are committed to ensuring that you receive what you need. There will be challenges….but in spite of those challenges and in spite of those difficulties-we have still been able to produce at a reasonable level but the challenges should not stop us from pursuing and pressing on and I want us to have that recommitted attitude towards agriculture so that we can press on and produce more.”
Awards were first given to the two winners of the World Food Day poster competition followed by recipients from the crop sector being awarded in the best farm categories which includes best farm in the back yard, between 1-5 acres, greater than 5 acres, best farm in fruit and tree crop and protective agriculture.
Under the livestock sub-sector category, awards were given for best managed Large ruminant farm, best managed Small ruminant farm, best managed pig farm, best managed small poultry farm and best managed rabbit farm.
The final category from the Marine Resources Department saw recipients being awarded for
Advances in aquaculture, Most Reliable Supplier to Bassettere Fisheries Complex, Coastal Pelagics Fishery and Ocean Pelagics Fishery.