Agriculture Minister lauds budget allocation to his Ministry

Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar giving his full support to the 2024 National Budget in Parliament on Tuesday, January 9, congratulated the Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves for “an exceptional presentation.”

Describing Budget 2024 as “a Budget of opportunities” minister Caesar said people can now see the positive changes in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

The agriculture minister said the allocation for his ministry this year is the most money “that we will be spending in a single year in Agriculture ever.”

In this year’s package, that ministry has been allotted $27 million, which the minister said is for “the farmers and fishers of this country.”

He spoke of assistance for poultry farmers, the construction of green houses, and small animals to be made available to farmers.

Fisher folk will also get more Fish Aggregating Devices and farmers will continue to get fertilizer and hand tools to help with the mechanization of their farms.

Caesar stressed allocation for 2024 “will be the most money ever spent in one year, to provide grants to the farmers and to the fishers “

Apart from developing a value chain for bananas and plantain, Caesar pointed out that 98% of the root crops imported by Trinidad and Tobago come from SVG.

And, he spoke of the importance to diversify this trade. The minister said there is a container load (400) sacks of English potato seeds on the way to SVG. This is “so that we can establish white potato production here in our country,” he noted.

This country currently imports $5 million worth of white potatoes.

These potatoes are being grown in Dominica and Jamaica and this year, English potato production will be developed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the minister promised.

On the issue of praedial larceny, Caesar said this will be addressed by the micro chipping of animals and will be made possible through a grant of US$200,000 to assist 500 livestock farmers.

Minister Caesar added that plans also are being put in place to have an agricultural census done this year.