FAO Strengthening Protected Agriculture to Improve People’s Livelihoods, Food and Nutrition Security Project Launched In SKN

MOA Basseterre, St. Kitts

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources St. Kitts in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Co-operatives and Fisheries Nevis officially launched the project titled, ‘Strengthening Protected Agriculture to Improve Peoples Livelihoods, Food and Nutrition Security”’ on Monday 10th June 2024.

An opening ceremony was held to kick-start the project, taking the form of an informative 5-day workshop this week in the Large Conference Room of the Department of Agriculture LaGuerite, St. Kitts.

Lead Technical Officer, Plant Production and Protection for FAO, Mr. Melvin Medina Navarro is the main facilitator driving the progress of the workshop which focuses on ways to improve access to food supplies through increased access to agricultural inputs and resilient practices, while also increasing household income from new and restored livelihoods through developing strategies to improve food systems and reduce food losses and waste.

Director of the Agriculture Department, Jeanelle Kelley delivered brief remarks to open the workshop. At the same time, FAO Focal Point and Liaison in the Ministry of Agriculture St. Kitts, Tonisha Weeks and FAO National Consultant, Keithley Amory both gave an overview of previous work of FAO production cultivation systems and the lessons learned through farm assessments.

Mr. Jervis Rowe, FAO International Consultant presented the Introduction and Advantages to Protected Cultivation Systems for Vegetable Crop production discussing the many advantages. He gave an example noting that “the efficiency in the use of land, water, nutrients, and sunlight and the efficient pest and disease control minimises the use of pesticides and increases crop quality and more and better quality sunlight for crops.”

Other topics discussed were ‘Project-Log Frame, Outputs and activities, Cross Cuttings, Costs of production and business cases for Selected Vegetable Crops under Protected Cultivation in St. Kitts and Nevis.

A question and answer segment followed immediately after all presentations.

Days three and four will comprise field visits to optimise the greenhouses and structures to be rehabilitated in several locations across St. Kitts and Nevis with the final session taking place on Friday 14th June.