Saint Kitts and Nevis: Ministry Of Agriculture Supplying Seeds To Community Groups To Encourage Community Gardening
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a dual-island nation situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Population: 52,441
By Chaïra Flanders
Zizonline
Oct 19, 2020
Basseterre, St. Kitts
Excerpt:
The Ministry of Agriculture is continuing with efforts to bolster food security, access and availability by providing seeds and seedlings to groups in various communities to encourage community gardening.
The gardens will be opened in several communities across the island.
While in Cayon, representatives from the Department of Agriculture joined with members from the Elem Gospel Hall for a brief handing over of seedlings.
Chair of the World Food Day Activities, Tonisha Weekes and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ron Dublin Collins presented the group with four different types of seedlings; Cucumbers, cabbages, tomatoes and sweet peppers.
Marilyn Claxton and Carl Caines accepted the seedlings on behalf of the church. Both members thanked the Agriculture Department for the assistance and shared that the garden will aid in the church’s fundraising efforts to help purchase a new bus.
Natasha Daniel of the Department of Agriculture said as a member of the church, she is extremely pleased with the initiative.
“I have been going to this church since I was a little girl and I said to myself, sister Marilyn we need to do something for the church and so I decided to turn over this area and the area to the back where they have pumpkin so that the church in their effort to raise funds to get a new bus for the church that we would work together to get this done. So we will continue to partner with the other community gardens as well as the church so that they can be successful in their endeavours”, she said.
In addition, another group who identifies as the Trafalgar Women’s Group was also presented with Cucumbers, cabbages, tomatoes and sweet pepper seedlings. Mrs. Sharon Bradshaw of the Trafalgar Women’s Group said the women are grateful for the support.
“I think it is probably by divine providence that we are here because the Trafalgar Women’s Group and the Agriculture Department would seem to have had the same idea at the same time and I thank you for your promptness because we called for advice as to what to do and you all promptly responded and we are here now with all these start up kits, if I can call them that; the slips and the ground cover etc. So we are very, very grateful”.
A Community Garden was also opened in St. Peter’s under the management of the St. Kitts Nevis Association of Persons with Disabilities. The group received seedlings and gardening tools, as well as farming equipment.
