Top Farmers and Fishers Recognised for Their Agricultural Contributions During the Annual World Food Day Prize-Giving Ceremony

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (SKNIS) – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources on Thursday, October 17, 2024, honoured the remarkable contributions of farmers and fishers to food security in St. Kitts, by hosting the annual Farmers and Fishers Prize Giving Ceremony.

Joining the farmers and fisherfolk at this year’s ceremony at the Carambola Beach Club were the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Honourable Samal Duggins, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Miguel Flemming, and staff of the agriculture department.

Minister Duggins, during his featured remarks, said the annual prize-giving ceremony is one of the avenues whereby his ministry is able to demonstrate its appreciation to the members of the farming and fishing community for their invaluable service to the nation.

“A lot of time credit isn’t given where it is due because it is you the farmers and fishers, the food heroes and sheroes who ensure that our nation is properly fed, who ensure that our economy is driven by local agricultural production,” Minister Duggins said. “Here in this country we have dedicated farmers who wake up at the crack of dawn in most cases, dedicated fishers who go out and brave the waves day after day to ensure that they put real healthy foods on our tables, and that’s why I call them food heroes and sheroes,” the minister added.

Minister Duggins also used the occasion to urge the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to make healthier choices by consuming more fresh locally produced goods.

“We need to eat more of what we grow,” Minister Duggins said. “We don’t have to go out and eat all those tin and bottled foods when we have green bananas, ripe bananas, dasheen and all the different varieties of produce right there.”

Awards were presented in three categories; Crop division, Livestock division and Fisheries. At the end of the night, Darwin Francis was awarded the FAO Fisher of the Year 2024 award. Leon Anthony captured the Crop Farmer of the Year award, while the Livestock Farmer of the Year award was presented to Cervin Bradshaw.

The prize-giving ceremony formed part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s World Food Day Week of Activities which ran from October 12 to 18, 2024, under the theme “Right to Foods, for a Better Life and a Better Future”.