St Kitts' Ministry of Agriculture distributed thousands of banana and plantain suckers to local farmers and backyard gardeners, aiming to lower the Federation's reliance on imported food. In a recent initiative, about 13,000 banana and 12,000 to 15,000 plantain suckers were handed out as part of World Food Day's week-long observance, celebrated on October 16. Ian Chapman, the Head of the Crops Programme, highlighted the effort's importance in enhancing local food production and reducing import dependency. Bananas and plantains, with their high importation rates and versatility in agro-processing, were identified as key commodities for this initiative. Chapman remarked, "This initiative was spearheaded and led by the 25 program as the ministry continues its intervention to help reduce the food import bill." He further noted the potential for local cultivation to markedly affect the food import bill. This event marks the second distribution drive in 2023, following a similar effort in July where approximately 26,000 suckers were distributed at the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park.
Source: Loopnews