Re-opening of the Sandy Point Public Market

Food security is one of the fundamental issues faced by most countries. The re-opening or the Sandy Point Public Market serves to address the issue of food security but it even does more than this. The re-opening of the Market aims at creating a group of small entrepreneurs. Hence the issue of food security is being address and at the same time job creation.

The Sandy Point Public Market is located just at the bottom of Farms’ Road. It is approximately fifteen meters from the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank. The “Market” as it is popularly known as, and will be referred to as thus from here after, has been serving the community of Sandy Point for over a century (100 years). The Market has not only served Sandy Point but the feeder communities of Dieppe Bay, St. Paul’s, Newtown Ground, Half Way Tree and Lamberts.

The activities in the Market were various it was not just a place to sell agriculture produce but also a slaughter house. Finish food products were also sold at the Market during the Saturday market. The market was multifunctional; it contains, and still does a reservoir which serves the community in times of water shortages.  Due to the upgrade in water services in the communities the reservoir is no longer functioning at full capacity. There was also a public bath facility that is no longer in use and fell to total disrepair.

The Market scene was a bustle of activity up the mid 1990’s but use of the market began waning on and around the stated period. The last time the market was functional was during the period 2001. Thereafter it was closed to public usage.