Author: SKNISEditor

San Jose, 17 February 2021 (IICA). Bananas, an economic mainstay for thousands of small-scale farmers and their families in tropical regions, are currently under threat. A disease that originated in Southeast Asia, which wilts and kills the crop, has spread to plantations around the world. This issue greatly affects vulnerable populations. Far from being a technical issue that should attract the attention of agricultural market experts specifically, it poses a real risk to the livelihoods of countless family farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In LAC, bananas are one of the few crops that provide income year-round for…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 17, 2021 (SKNIS): The Team Unity Cabinet of Ministers met on Monday, February 15, 2021, at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. Several issues affecting the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were deliberated on. The National COVID-19 Task Force gave its weekly briefing to the Cabinet where the usual update on statistics with respect to infections, recoveries, and deaths locally, regionally, and internationally was given. Apart from the customary update on statistics, mention was made of the 2000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that the…

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, February 17, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Prime Minister and Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Seven, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, presented to the communities of Lodge-Ottley’s and surrounding areas a $3.2 million multi-purpose community centre at a ceremony held on Tuesday February 16 to commission the facility. “I feel proud today because my government is delivering the best community centre in the country to you the wonderful people of St. Christopher Seven and Eight,” said Prime Minister Harris as he delivered feature remarks at the ceremony. “I am proud that today we are able to deliver this edifice…

Basseterre: St. Kitts, February 16, 2021: The Early Childhood DevelopmentUnit (ECDU) held a Covid-19 Sensitization Session with nursery caregiversaimed at briefing caregivers on ways to “maintain healthy, safe and hygienicprotocols to mitigate the spread of Covid-19”.At the session held at the Early Childhood Development Unit’s ConferenceRoom, Victoria Road, St. Kitts on Tuesday 16 th February, Director of the EarlyChildhood Development Unit, Ms. Kimona Browne disclosed that nurserycaregivers have been participating over the past weeks in training sessionssupported by UNICEF.The sessions were divided into two components. Component one, focused onproviding the nursery caregivers with instructional and pedagogicalknowledge to improve the learning…

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 17, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of Prime Minister) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris has publicly lauded the management and workers of John Boy Construction – the small sized construction company that delivered the beautiful edifice that is now the multi-purpose Lodge/Ottley’s Community Center. PrimeMinister Harris, who is also the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency #7 in which the new community center lies, noted that John Boy Construction, led by its Manager Mr. Dwight Berry, completed the project within reasonable time given the setbacks and lockdowns associated with COVID-19. “It was one of those…

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, February 16, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — At a colourful event dubbed ‘A Celebration with the Monarch 2020-2021’ reigning National Senior Calypso Monarch Gloria Esdaile Robinson, stage name Queeny-G, did what no other monarch before her has done – she recognised contributions of fellow calypsonians and supporting affiliates by awarding them. Held at the Mill House, Garvey’s Estate in Boyd’s, West Basseterre, on Sunday February 14, the event saw the official launch of her video ‘We’re in this together’, and the highly anticipated ‘Monarch’s Choice Awards’ which, according to Queeny-G, “seeks to honour the contributions of calypsonians and supporting…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 16, 2021 (SKNIS): Officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Tourism will be featured on the popular government radio and television programme “Working for You” on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.The special guests will be Mr. Kyle Flanders, Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture; Mrs. Shaline Welcome-Lewis, Community Tourism Officer in the Ministry of Tourism; and Mrs. Therez Ambrose-Versailles, Tourism Research Officer. The tripartite panel will discuss the National Backyard Garden Competition, which is a collaborative project between the Ministries of Agriculture and Tourism. The project aims to encourage the development of backyard gardens, increasing the awareness…

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 16, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Persons residing in the Lodge and Ottley’s areas now have a new place to socialize and engage in constructive community-based activities with the opening of the new Lodge/Ottley’s Multipurpose Community Center. Thecenter was officially opened today, Tuesday, February 16, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister and Parliamentary Representative, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, as well as his Cabinet colleagues the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, the Honourable Jonel Powell and the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett. Also, in attendance were Resident Ambassador of the…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 16, 2021 (SKNIS): The Order Paper has been circulated for the first sitting of the National Assembly for the year to be held at the National Assembly Chambers, Government Headquarters, Basseterre, on Thursday 18th February 2021, at 10:00 am. Notice has been given.The Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Vincent Byron Jr, will seek leave to introduce and have read a first-time Magistrates Code of Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2021; Criminal Procedures (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and Jury (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Additionally, The Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs will move the second reading…

San Jose, 16 February 2021 (IICA). – Bananas, a key crop for global food security and the livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers, are facing the most serious threat in decades: the Tropical Race 4 (TR4) strain of the Fusarium fungus, which has triggered a pandemic on banana plantations and is devastating the crop in numerous countries. TR4 causes a disease that spreads very easily and is already present in Latin America and the Caribbean. There is no known cure, which makes it necessary for various public and private stakeholders to engage in coordinated efforts to generate scientific knowledge, build capacities…