St Kitts Seeing Green: Crop Exports on the Rise Under 25×30 Agenda
The fields in St Kitts are starting to tell a new story — one of growth, export, and quiet transformation. Agriculture officials say the island is steadily shifting from feeding itself to feeding others, as local crops like watermelon, banana, and plantain move beyond domestic markets and into regional trade.
According to Minister of Agriculture Samal Duggins, the progress is tangible. “We have produced more watermelons than we consume, and we have been exporting,” he said, noting that it’s not just about surplus but about scaling up the island’s potential as an exporter.
The expansion from the 25×25 initiative to the 25×30 Agenda — a national drive to grow 25 crops by 2030 — is already bearing fruit. Alongside watermelons, bananas, plantains, peppers, kale, cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes are all being prepared for export, backed by training and modernised farming methods.
“Right now, we are training our banana and plantain producers because in a few months, we’ll be producing more than we can consume,” Duggins explained. “The idea is to have them prepared for export.”
Behind the scenes, infrastructure is catching up too. The newly built hatchery — with capacity to produce over 20,000 chicks per year — has opened new trade opportunities. Permanent Secretary Miguel Fleming confirmed that the Ministry will soon begin exporting day-old chicks, marking another quiet milestone for the Federation’s agricultural diversification.
Officials are optimistic that, with continued investment in technology, training, and export readiness, St Kitts and Nevis could soon flip its trade profile from a net importer to a net exporter — a transformation that would mark one of the most significant steps in its food security and sustainability journey.
It’s still early days, but the groundwork looks strong. The island’s farmers are planting more, producing more, and thinking bigger. If the trend continues, St Kitts could be exporting not just crops — but confidence in its growing agricultural identity.
