(MOA Basseterre, St. Kitts :
In an official ceremony on Wednesday, 06 November 2024, St. Kitts and Nevis celebrated a groundbreaking advancement in its journey toward self-reliance and economic resilience, as the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, planted the first batch of Tabasco pepper seedlings at Fahies Estate in Newton Ground, St. Kitts.
The ceremony marked the official launch of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) Tabasco Pepper Experimental Plot project—a collaboration between the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the globally recognised TABASCO® brand, owned by McIlhenny Company in Louisiana.
This partnership is a key component of the Sustainable Economic Expansion and Diversification (SEED) initiative, a progressive government program designed to reduce the federation’s reliance on the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program and promote sustainable agriculture and local food production, as well as other diversified investment sectors. Through SEED, the government aims to diversify the economy, reduce reliance on external income sources, and strengthen food security for generations to come.
The collaboration with TABASCO® Brand is a significant boost to the nation’s agricultural sector, which is central to the SEED initiative. Known for its hot, iconic pepper sauce, TABASCO® brings with it expertise in sustainable farming practices and access to international markets.
While delivering brief remarks, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, said that through this initiative, St. Kitts and Nevis could look forward to increased agricultural productivity, the creation of new jobs, and a more robust economy capable of withstanding global economic pressures.
Dr. Drew also highlighted the historic implementation of this new project, stating that the first shipment of Tabasco pepper from St. Kitts will provide many benefits for the country and noted its projected impact on the agricultural sector as this signals the start of what could be our nation’s largest crop export since sugar.
“I invited Tabasco as the Prime Minister to St. Kitts and Nevis, where I met with the leadership of Tabasco International, and I would have met with the Honourable Minister of Agriculture as well. The determination was made then that St. Kitts and Nevis have the potential to be a producer or grower of this pepper, the Tabasco pepper, where we can actually grow it and export it back to Louisiana so that it can be processed into the end product, which is the pepper sauce. That started as a conversation, and today, we are here transplanting the first set of seedlings into this fertile ground right here in Newton Ground. It is a testament to dedication. It is a testament to hard work, which requires all of us to work as a team to ensure that this becomes possible. What are the benefits to be derived from a program like this? Of course, one is the economic impact. It will provide a lot of jobs. With that, selling back to the company will bring foreign exchange to St. Kitts and Nevis. It will help people to transition from one area of work into another area of work in a sustainable way where, this can help to pay for our workers here in St. Kitts and Nevis, reducing the burden on the state, especially in our STEP program, and creating jobs so that people can help to establish themselves and their lives. This is a remarkable place. Since the days of sugar, we have not had a major crop to replace sugar in a way that would provide hundreds of jobs and in a way that would bring foreign direct exchange. So this is revolutionary.”
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Honourable Samal Duggins, expressed how the partnership between Tabasco and the government fosters sustainable economic growth. He also emphasised the importance of building relationships with global markets.
He said, “Today marks a significant milestone for the advancement and transformation of our agriculture sector. Today, here we are cultivating the future promise of the sector as we put into the ground today the first set of seeds received from Tabasco as a part of our Tabasco Pepper project and that partnership. Ladies and gentlemen, this partnership will see St. Kitts and Nevis moving forward in the right direction. As we know, Tabasco pepper is the widest-distributed pepper sauce in the world. Not just the region, not just the hemisphere, but the entire world and for St. Kitts and Nevis to be part of that ecosystem, for us to have a partnership with such a global institution, speaks volumes when you consider our size and our positioning in the global hemisphere, but it also speaks to our resilience and our strength and determination because it means for a small country, we’re able to persevere and push in markets and in spaces that generally is reserved for larger territories.”
Minister Duggins also thanked Tabasco for their partnership and expressed his delight with Prime Minister Drew and his cabinet colleagues for making agriculture a priority.
Following the ceremony, both Prime Minister Drew and Minister Duggins participated in the historic planting of Tabasco pepper seedlings for the first time in St. Kitts.
An estimate of over 50,000 lbs of Tabasco peppers will be harvested from the first 10 acres of the experimental plot and will be packaged as pepper mash for shipment to Avery Island, Louisiana. Approximately 30 jobs are expected to be created for every 10 acres of Tabasco peppers planted.