Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 08, 2020 (SKNIS): Field Operations Manager, William Phillip, of the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP), said that the organization will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide startup assistance to aid in subsistence farming.
“The STEP works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture. They are interested in food security so once you have assigned STEP trainees and you are a participant in the STEP we can seek some assistance from the Department of Agriculture to have your lands cleared and ploughed,” said Mr. Phillip, while responding to a question on the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Daily Briefing for May 08, 2020, regarding startup assistance such as land clearing to backyard farmers. “So yes, we can help you to get some assistance to have your lands cleared.”
Mr. Phillip used the occasion to thank STEP workers for their hard work and dedication on farms.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank our STEP interns who are still assigned to the farms. During this period of lock-down we have managed to get a large number of the STEP interns who are involved in farming to go out and do their farming with the farmers,” he said.
He added, that as a result of the interns’ hard work, Saturday, May 09, residents within the Cayon area will benefit from the produce.
“We are going to be going around in the Cayon area from 10 am to 1 pm to distribute a number of those farm products to the less fortunate especially the senior citizens who are most affected by this COVID-19,” he said, adding that the products were donated by several farmers.