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Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 23, 2018 (SKNIS): Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Eugene

Hamilton, conducted very important site visits to five (5) livestock and five (5) crop farmers during the period May 15-16 with the objective to get an understanding of the challenges that farmers are currently facing.

 

From the site visits, the minister reported some key livestock challenges that are being faced by farmers including accessibility to the appropriate types of labels and appropriate packaging for penetration into supermarkets, market penetration for local pork which is not at a satisfactory level and therefore causing a cut back on production.

 

To combat some of the issues being faced in agriculture and to aid farmers to recover from the recent hurricane season, the government will be implementing a number of initiatives and programmes to boost the agricultural industry. The government will also make a concerted effort to improve upon issues being faced with ruminants and extension services to address the lack of management and production guidance that farmers need to make a significant impact on production. 

 

Provisions are also being made to provide farmers with more land and to improve the infrastructure surrounding some farming areas including the resurfacing of roads leading to the farms. The ministry also intends to conduct regular site inspections to all local farms to keep an open line of communications with the farmers and their progress.

 

The livestock farmers that were visited were Lanval Abbott, Eirate Mc Call, Walter Simmonds, Wilmonth Thomas and Garette Lewis. The crop farmers were Glenford Williams, Andre Patrick, Selmon Carty, Christopher Revan and Giddeon’s Farm.