Sweet Pepper and Lettuce Farmers in St Kitts and Nevis Receive Hands-on Training to Improve Productivity and Yields

14 November 2024 – Bridgetown, Barbados – Sweet pepper and lettuce farmers in St Kitts and Nevis are taking steps to improve their productivity levels following hands-on training in good agricultural practices, hydroponics, protected structures, and other technologies.

Technical Training on Best Practices for Improved Protected and Open Field Cultivation of High Value Crops

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Creative Economy, launched a technical training on best practices for improved protected and open field cultivation of high value crops that took place in October in St Kitts and Nevis.

Building Capacity for Farmers

The training aimed to build the capacity of farmers by introducing best practices for the growth of these two crops in soil and hydroponics. Farmers and technicians from the Departments of Agriculture were trained by FAO using combined elements of theory and practical demonstrations. Topics covered included:

Seedling production
Creating optimal conditions for growth
Crop nutrition
Pest and disease management
Harvest and post-harvest management

Addressing Climate Change Risk and Improving Food Security

Mr Juan Cheaz Pelaez, FAO Trade and Markets Officer for the Caribbean and Lead Technical Officer for the project, emphasized the need for proactivity among all value chain actors to take collective action. He noted that:

“In more recent years, our agrifood system is under greater pressure from climate change risk, volatile markets, and rising cost of inputs, effectively making production more difficult in this part of the world. These conditions warrant us improving the way we produce food to safeguard our national supplies, making nutritious food accessible and affordable for all.”

He also linked the situation to policy milestones, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Initiative to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025.

Conclusion

The training is an important step towards improving production efficiency among farmers and ensuring a sustainable commercial-level supply of superior local products. The FAO team is preparing additional training packages and hands-on training sessions to ensure that farmers and technicians can apply the knowledge and technologies learned to their daily work.

FAQ

Q: What is the purpose of the training?
A: The training aims to improve the productivity and yields of sweet pepper and lettuce farmers in St Kitts and Nevis by introducing best practices in good agricultural practices, hydroponics, and protected structures.

Q: Who is involved in the training?
A: The training is conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Creative Economy.

Q: What topics were covered in the training?
A: The training covered topics such as seedling production, creating optimal conditions for growth, crop nutrition, pest and disease management, and harvest and post-harvest management.

Q: What is the goal of the Initiative to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025?
A: The goal of the Initiative is to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025 by improving food production and supply in the region.