Government is maintaining its focus on agriculture following January’s Heroes Day event and this month’s Agriculture Show.

Agriculture Minister Kurt Tibbetts, along with visiting officials from St. Kitts and Nevis – Minister of Agriculture Alexis Jeffers and Permanent Secretary Eric Evelyn– recently toured five farms on Grand Cayman.

Also in the tour party were Acting Chief Officer Leyda Nicholson-Makasare and Department of Agriculture reps: Assistant Director Brian Crichlow, Plant Protection Officer Joan Steer and Agronomist Claudette McKenzie.

The group first visited fruit orchards owned by Mr Tibbetts, before travelling on to Mr. Davy Ebanks’s Farm, which emphasises leafy vegetable production in a greenhouse.

Officials continued to Mr. Kent “Biggie” Rankin’s Farm, which includes cows, pigs, goats and a limited amount of chickens. There, it was noted that the advent of popular jerk-stands (including Mr. Rankine’s) has stimulated the demand for these fresh meats.

At Mr. Harvey Stephenson’s Lookout Farm the tour party saw some of his prize goats, as well as a variety of niche crops, from bitter melon, callaloo, avocado, pumpkin and spinach, to long-beans, okra, eggplant and tomato. As a special sub-industry the 35-acre farm produces some 150 gallons of coconut water each week.

The next stop, Mr. Patrick Panton’s Farm, grows a combination of ornamental plants and edible crops in greenhouses and in open fields. It also raises hundreds of free-range chickens.

While there is a greatly increased appreciation and demand for local organic produce and meats, challenges include competitive pricing officials noted. Another issue, and a common theme amongst the farmers, is a lack of local people willing to work on the farms.

The guests noted that, while St. Kitts and Nevis is smaller and less-populated than the Cayman Islands, the aim there is to increase the production of crops, livestock and the use of greenhouses on their limited agriculture lands.

For its final call of the day, the group visited the Farmers’ Market at the Cricket Grounds, which is the latest venue for the popular “farm to fork” services now being developed.

Government continues to support the farming community, primarily through the Department of Agriculture, in ways that range from scientific research and technical assistance, to direct grants and the importation of new breeding stock.