Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 8, 2020 (ZIZ News)
By: Chaïra Flanders
The Sandy Point Agricultural Cooperative Society Limited (SPACS) commemorated the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Sandy Point Market with a brief but significant ceremony on Saturday, July 4.
During the ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Alexis Jeffers delivered brief remarks and acknowledged that the celebration coincided with International Cooperatives Day. He said that Cooperatives were formed to ensure that we were able to feed ourselves and our families as a collective. He also explained how beneficial cooperatives are in the agricultural sector.
“I always look at Cooperatives this way, you have your hand, you have 5 fingers. Each finger can operate separate and apart from the other and then you can accomplish things, doing things that way but if you were to fold your hand and form a fist, I don’t think there’s anything more forceful than this. This can actually destroy things that these fingers cannot. This fist can actually accomplish things that these fingers individually would not. If we were to look at that rationale and put that into the context of why Cooperatives are so important. It therefore means that if we as communities throughout the federation are to band ourselves together and form alliances and partnerships, we can achieve quite a lot”, Minister Jeffers said.
He also used the opportunity to commend the Sandy Point Agricultural Cooperative Society and pledged his Ministry’s support to the farmers there.
“I came to give the assurance that the government of St. Kitts and Nevis, despite of the challenges and inspire of the challenges that would have existed before, we have come to say to you that we are willing to work witth you to ensure that we continue on the upward trajectory in-terms of making Sandy Point and the farmers here in Sandy Point much more empowered than what you’ve been in the past. And what I mean by that [is] you’ve been trying, how can we get you to the next level”, he expressed.
Minister Jeffers noted that much more can be done to boost the Agricultural sector if both St. Kitts and Nevis pooled together as a collective unit. He then congratulated the group for reaching such a momentous milestone.
As the ceremony wrapped up, members of the Sandy Point Agricultural Cooperative Society Limited, were asked to make themselves known on stage so that the audience could give cheers and applaud their hard work and dedication over the years.
The audience was then treated with a song selection by local artist Yogi Dan.
The annual commemorative ceremony is held each year to recognise the Sandy Point Public Market’s restoration since its renovation in July 2010.