In a significant move towards enhancing the agricultural landscape, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Resources and Cooperatives partnered with the St. Kitts Farmers Consortium as part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between farmers and supermarkets.
This began with a series of meetings led by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Miguel Flemming who was accompanied by a small delegation of Unit Heads, technical staff and President of the St. Kitts Farmers Consortium, Meshach Alford on both Friday, 3rd November and Wednesday, 15th November 2023.
The topics of discussion included the Consortium Production Program, ways to strengthen the relationship between the Marketing Unit at the Department of Agriculture and linkages between food producers and supermarket chains.
The meetings with some of the key stakeholders, namely Rams Trading Limited and Horsford’s Valumart IGA, allowed the group the opportunity to highlight the importance of strengthening the bond between the local supermarkets and food producers and address plans that are afoot that will help St. Kitts and Nevis meet CARICOM’s 25 by 25 agenda target. This initiative aims to reduce food imports by 25% by the year 2025 and will ensure that markets are readily available after harvest.
The Permanent Secretary has expressed that, “facilitating direct market linkages between farmers and supermarkets is a key focus of the Ministry, considering that networks where farmers can showcase their products to potential supermarket partners provides a direct and transparent connection between producers and retailers.”
The stakeholders who will play a pivotal role in the success of this endeavour, expressed their interest and commitment to support local farmers. Recognizing the importance of a robust and mutually beneficial partnership, the meetings concluded with all in agreement with the way forward.