St. Kitts Breaks Ground on Agro-Tourism Demonstration Farm
20-Acre Farm Designed to Become A Local Tourism Attraction
Pictured: At left, artist rendering of the Sugarcane Labyrinth at the Agro-Tourism Demonstration Farm; At right, Minister of Health, Culture, Community and Social Development and Gender Affairs, the Honourable Marcella Liburd; Minister of Public Works, Housing, Energy and Utilities, the Honourable Dr. Earl Asim Martin; Minister of Tourism & International Transport, Senator Ricky Skerritt; St. Kitts & Nevis’ Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas; Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Agriculture, Marine Resource and Cooperatives, the Honourable Dr. Timothy Harris; and Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Miguel Li-Jey Tsao conducting the ceremonial groundbreaking on the Agro-Tourism Demonstration Farm.
Basseterre, St. Kitts (February 2, 2012) – The groundbreaking ceremony for a 20-acre Agro-Tourism Demonstration Farm took place on January 31, 2012. The farm is located on the site of a former sugar cane plantation, Sir Gillies, and is scheduled for completion in two years. The project is a collaboration between the Governments of St. Kitts & Nevis and The Republic of China (Taiwan).
“This project is unlike any other in this part of the Caribbean,” said Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister of Tourism & International Transport. “It is entertaining while also being educational, and represents a unique marriage between agriculture and tourism. The Farm is an opportunity to showcase and promote community tourism and I commend it.”
In keeping with St. Kitts’ commitment to sustainability, the Farm will incorporate various “green” elements in its construction and upkeep. It will feature local indigenous fruits and vegetables alongside crops originating from Taiwan, so that visitors can appreciate the crop diversity of both countries. A Botanical Garden will have medicinal plants from both St. Kitts & Nevis and Chinese medical herbs. Also gracing the gardens will be a traditional tea-house. A visual highlight of the Farm will be a “Sugarcane Labyrinth” in the shapes of both St. Kitts and Taiwan, commemorating the sugar industry that once was an economic driver in both nations
Once operational, the Farm will conduct workshops and seminars for local youths who want to pursue opportunities in agriculture. The design of the Farm was created by Taiwanese landscape and architecture experts who were sent to St. Kitts to compose a blueprint for the project.
To commemorate the groundbreaking, the Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, joined with Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Miguel Li-Jey Tsao, in planting a memorial tree. The ceremony also included the opening of the preparatory office of the Farm.
St. Kitts was named one of the “Top 12 Spots that should be on your list for 2012” by Caribbean Travel + Life magazine and the island’s Brimstone Hill Fortress was named one of “10 Great Places To Explore The World’s Best-Kept Secrets” by USA Today. As of summer 2011, the destination also ranks #1 on a list of the 16 Best Caribbean Vacations by US News & World Report. Last year, St. Kitts was named a top destination for 2011 by both AOL Travel and British Airways. Located in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, it offers a diverse tourism product developed from the destination’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and rich history. The island’s stunning variety of tourism attractions include hiking through the tropical rainforest, riding the scenic railway that connects the island’s former sugar plantations, visiting the Caribelle Batik factory, touring Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, the only man-made UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Eastern Caribbean, and more traditional vacation pastimes such as watersports, golf, shopping, tennis, gourmet dining, gaming at St. Kitts’ exclusive casino or simply relaxing on one of the island’s sandy beaches. Accommodations range from intimate plantation inns to larger hotels and resorts.
For more information about St. Kitts, please contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority toll free from the US at 1-800-582-6208 or from Canada 1-888-395-4887, e-mail info@stkittstourism.kn, visit www.stkittstourism.kn, or connect on Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube.