Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Charlestown, Nevis
June 11, 2010

At least two pig farmers registered their satisfaction for free bags of pig feed from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) through the Ministry and Department of Agriculture on Nevis.

The feed was purchased by the Department of Agriculture through the FAO’s initiative on soaring food prices. The gift which was meant to stimulate pig farming was distributed at the Prospect Experimental Station. The distribution was supervised by Director of Agriculture on Nevis Mr. Keithley Amory and his staff on Friday.

Mr. Charles Bussue a lifelong small scale pig farmer who was on hand to benefit from the feed told the Department of Information he like other farmers felt gratified with the gesture.

“Indeed we are very thankful for the donation made by FAO. We also want to thank the Nevis Island Administration for organising this for the pig farmers on Nevis. At this extremely difficult time that we are all facing, I think any help would be a great help and this time I can tell you one bag, two bags or 15 bags, they are all very, very helpful to us the pig farmers on Nevis.

“I have been a pig farmer all my life, however, this is the first time I have been an actual recipient of such donations from the Agricultural Department that has been sent here by FAO and again I just want to stress I am extremely thankful for this help,” he said.

Owner and Manager of Webbes Pig Farm in Webbes Ground, Gingerland Mr. Sam Webbe, echoed similar sentiments. He was one of the large scale pig farmers who received the FAO sponsored pig feed.

“I must say I am indeed grateful for this gift that was presented to us here this morning from FAO through the Agriculture Department in Nevis. I must say how happy I am for being relieved of the cost of going to the Supply Office. This contribution would run us down for three weeks and I must say I am really happy. I am just really, really grateful for this contribution and on behalf of the other farmers, we just want to say thanks. I am a little overwhelmed this morning,” he said.

Meantime, Mr. Amory said they had expected to distribute about 750 bags of feed to some 100 pig farmers. He explained that Friday’s distribution was the continuation of the FAO funded programme which had commenced in 2009.

“This initiative had started early last year but because of some logistical problems we were not able to finalise it. So we are here today to finalise the distribution of the feed to the deserving pig farmers.

This initiative was based on the collapse of the economies, so many farmers who were involved in pig production or livestock production had ceased to continue production because they felt that they could not afford to buy pig feed.

“The FAO decided that this initiative would help to stimulate and continue to encourage persons into pig production or even livestock production. So what they did was to give us some money and we are now here to distribute pig fed to these farmers so that they may continue to survive in these harsh economic times,” he said.

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Nevis Produced Plantain Chips

Charlestown, Nevis
April 23, 2010

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture on Nevis Dr. Kelvin Daly described the Nevis Agro-processing Centre as a significant project with both tangible and intangible objectives.

His comment came when he delivered remarks at a ceremony to commission the Centre at Prospect on Tuesday.

“It signals a bold confidence in people power, in economic and social empowerment. It signals the coming of age of a long and beautiful tradition in agro processing. It signals the completion of one more pillar in our quest for sectorial diversification. It signals the strengthening of linkages between agriculture and tourism, agriculture and health and agriculture and education,” he said.

The Senior Agriculture Official said it was the intension of the Ministry and Department of Agriculture to make available to the children of Nevis who were most vulnerable with the kind of products that promoted good nutrition and by extension healthier lifestyles.

“We must at the very least replace Cool Aid with 100 percent pure fruit juice extracts. I would like to see our Agro processors develop a line of fruit snacks as alternatives to the high salt, high sugar [and] over processed ones currently available,” he said.

However, he hastened to add that the Centre was a work in process and specialised pieces of equipment had not yet been bought. Dr. Daly used the opportunity to appeal to the benevolent persons in the community to donate to what he referred to as a very worthy project.

Meantime, Director of Agriculture on Nevis Mr. Keithley Amory in his remarks said the new agro processing facility would open doors to new career opportunities in food science.

He noted that management staff of the new facility had been encouraged by the Department of Agriculture to pursue tertiary education in that field and announced that the Manager Mr. Dwight Brown had already heeded the call.

Mr. Amory stated that it was the Department’s hope that agro-processors maximised the use of the new processing plant. He said they had already received inquiries from agro processors in St. Kitts who also had an interest in utilising the facility.

“I would like to encourage them to respect and treat both [facility and equipment] as they would their kitchens; to adhere to the good manufacturing practices that some of them recently learnt and to abide by the rules and regulations set forth for the proper use and management of it, so that the highest quality of value added products can be produced that can rival any imports.

“I would like the agro-processors to embrace this opportunity to spread their wings and see it as a means to empower themselves with the goal of attaining financial stability,” he said.

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Locally Grown Nevis Fruits and Vegetables

Charlestown, Nevis
April 22, 2010

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture on Nevis Dr. Kelvin Daly, said Tuesday that the Ministry in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture had moved expeditiously, to ensure the availability of adequate raw materials to satisfy the needs of  the Agro-processing Sector on the island.

His announcement came when he delivered remarks at the official opening of the Nevis Agro Processing Centre at Prospect.

Dr. Daly said in order for the Agro processors to protect the unique taste and quality of their product mass marketing was not an option and advised the agro processors to develop niche markets facilitated by direct sales to consumers beyond the shores of Nevis.

Among the challenges that move would present was locking into a sustainable, consistent and affordable supply of raw material.

“In 2007 the beginnings of what would become a 10 acre fruit orchard, was established at New River Estate to augment the considerable efforts of our Plant Propagation Unit, the Republic of China on Taiwan Technical Mission at Cades Bay, have donated generously to this project.

“We have already planted limes, oranges, guava, cashew, coconut and manciport. Soon to come are jujure and local exotics,” he said.

Dr. Daly said the Ministry and Department of Agriculture has also encouraged and supported the development of private orchards and pointed to a 10 acre mango orchard at Wards Estate owned by Mr. James Gaskell and a three acre citrus orchard at Hamilton Estate owned by Mrs. Estha Bramble.

Notwithstanding, the Agriculture Official said there was need for much more and as such the challenge was each person to become involved even to plant one tree.

Beyond fruits, Dr. Daly said there was also potential for ready to cook vegetables, citing that the possibilities were limited only by one’s imagination.

With regard to marketing the products which he said was a formidable challenge, the Permanent Secretary noted that in his view, the wheel that would help to solve that problem had already been invented.

“It’s called the Internet. Of all the communication media, it is by far the most accessible and affordable marketing tool. The plethora of local websites could offer links and hyperlinks to products available for sale on the internet,” he said.

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2. Agro-Processing Plant Construction In Nevis Commences
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5. Nevis Fruit Festival Shows Importance Of Local Fruits