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BASSETERRE St. Kitts – WHEN one thinks of agriculture, the first things that usually come to mind are local produce and farming – digging in soil and planting provisions. No fun there right?
SKNVibes met a group of young men who actually can put some fun and excitement into the world of agriculture.
Founded on January 10, 2010, the Sandy Point Agricultural Co-operative Society Ltd (SPACS) consists of a group of young farmers from the Farms Estate area of Sandy Point who are trying to bring healthy locally produced goods to the people of St. Kitts.
The group of young men came together in the last quarter of 2009 and decided to join forces to help each other.
The men first started selling their produce in May of 2010 on the island main road in front of the Sandy Point Market during the period when the Market was closed down.
Lionel ‘Trustme’ Stevens, one of the farmers said that on May 29, the farmers invited the Minister with responsibility for Agriculture as well as the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary down to Sandy Point to examine the market, with the hope that they would allow them the opportunity to display their produce there.
He said that their hopes turned into reality when they were given the “green light” to clean, maintain and use the Market to display and sell their produce.
He further explained that with the help of the group – ‘Sandy Pointers Inspiring Real Improvement Throughout’ (SPIRIT), and the Sandy Point Fire Department, they all cleaned, re-painted and officially re-opened the Sandy Point Market on July 3, 2010.
Stevens said that since then, the Market has been opened every Saturday offering a wide variety of local produce and agro-processed goods such as pumpkins, green bananas, dasheens, tanyas, sweet and season peppers, tomatoes and herbs and thyme.
SPACS also sells ‘Ital’ at the Market from midday every Saturday.
Since its come-back in 2010, Stevens said that the Market has been the venue for a number of events including the Agriculture Awards held on April 2, 2011 as part of Black San Bang-a-Lang’s Tractorcade; Agri-independence Cultural Expo that was held on September 17, 2010; and the World Food Day Food Fair and Agricultural Exhibition which was held on October 16, 2010.
These events are expected to be held again later this year at the same venue, as the Market has now become the official venue for these events.
SPACS was also a part of Development Bank’s Street Bazaar/Market Day that was held yesterday (June 23) on Central Street, Basseterre.
Next Saturday (July 2), the Sandy Point Market will be celebrating one year since it was restored and SPACS invites the general public to come on down, show some support and take advantage of the reduced prices, give-aways, and games such as ‘guess the weight’ as SPACS strives to bring fun and excitement to agriculture.
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Source: http://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/31281
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