Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 16 2015 (SKNIS): Planners at the Department of Agriculture are busy making preparations for the 23rd annual Agricultural Open Day scheduled for Thursday April 30 and Friday May 01 at the department grounds in La Guarite.
The theme of this year’s event is “Embracing Agriculture and its Partners” and is reflective of the vision for the department said communications officer Kevin Jeffers.
The annual open day focuses on promoting the work of farmers and other agricultural sector stakeholders and provides an opportunity for the public to interact and become more familiar with the role agriculture plays in the economy.
According to Mr. Jeffers this year’s event will have a variety of engaging and interactive displays highlighting advances in farming techniques ranging from back yard gardening to commercial food production. An educational corner will also be available to provide information for persons wanting information on careers in agriculture.
Agricultural partners such as Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Inter-American Institute on Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Ross University and the Republic of China (Taiwan) Agricultural mission will also be on hand to highlight activities in their respective areas.
For the younger visitors, the animal petting farm, and other fun activities will be available. An expanded food court is added this year, to promote eating local. According to Mr. Jeffers, the food court will be stocked with local popular delicacies such as goat water, mutton, local pork and “tree mutton”. Local drinks and snacks will also be available for purchase.
Visitors are encouraged to support the farmers market during the two day event. According to Mr. Jeffers vending booths will be stocked with produce, plants and agro-processing products and a range of other agricultural items. Partners from the retail community will also be on site to showcase their products for the farmers benefit.