Basseterre (Commonwealth Union)_A new initiative funded by the European Union and the Caribbean Development Bank will improve the nation’s quality infrastructure for St. Kitts and Nevis’ agri-food sector.
New metrology equipment and training are provided under the initiative to the St. Kitts Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS), which will speed up services to agro-processors and enable them to meet quality standards for international export and increase food output.
During a recent event, specifics of the “Strengthening the National Quality Infrastructure: Training and Equipment for Conformity Assessment” Project were revealed. It is funded by the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) Standby Facility for Capacity Building, valued at €100,960, and the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
According to the CBU, the project is anticipated to increase the competitiveness of agricultural goods and expand market access by expanding the capacity of the agro-processing sector. Additionally, the effort will encourage economic diversification and expand employment options.
Given the region’s dependence on the tourism industry, which has shown to be extremely vulnerable to shocks like COVID-19 and catastrophic climate-related events, these results are especially crucial to fostering resilience against socioeconomic fallouts.
The SKNBS will expedite the project’s increased quality requirements for regional food production and the accessibility of more nutrient-dense food, both of which will lower food insecurity. Increasing domestic food production can also help CARICOM Member States meet their pledge to cut food import costs by 25 percent by 2025 by reducing the pandemic’s impact on global food prices as well as the war in Ukraine.
“Today, we celebrate a significant accomplishment for St. Kitts and Nevis’ agroprocessing industry that will increase the country’s competitiveness, productivity, and market share,” Daniel Best, head of the CBU’s Projects Department, said in his remarks at the project’s launch. “CDB is proud to support this project as it directly aligns with the pillars of the Bank’s Agriculture Sector Policy and Strategy Paper 2020–2025, which seeks to promote an enabling environment and infrastructure for efficient agricultural value chains.”
According to Sheldon Jackman, project manager for the European Union delegation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, “increasing local producers’ capacity to produce high-quality, high-value goods will enable an increase in exports to important markets in the region and around the world.” This project will promote consumer protection, advance private sector development and competitiveness, and increase the availability of high-quality, dependable, safe, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure in addition to facilitating trade.
The endeavour is one of 25 standby facility projects that are currently being carried out in the area.
