Animal feed in storage.
SABA--The public entity of Saba is busy rolling out its agricultural strategy aimed at improving local food production. It centres around an animal feed initiative, a mobile farmer’s market, and upgrades to Saba’s hydroponics farm.
In its animal feed initiative, the public entity is providing subsidies to local farmers to buy animal feed in bulk from suppliers in Puerto Rico. The subsidies will also apply to shipping cost.
The mobile farmers’ market truck.
The hydroponics farm’s storage facility.
“For many years, our local farmers have been sourcing their animal feed in smaller quantities and at higher cost. This initiative aims to overhaul this inefficient system by leveraging economies of scale,” the public entity said in a press release on Monday.
The public entity says it has improved the local hydroponics farm to be a fully operational, demand-driven food production facility. This is in contrast to its previous state, which the public entity described on Monday as a “showcase model.”
“The new model aims to significantly lower the cost of produce, making fresh, locally-grown food more accessible and affordable for all residents,” the public entity said.
Financed through a grant by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the hydroponics farm is a public-private partnership between the public entity and United States-based corporation Gezondheid Farms.
In January, the public entity disclosed that the project was in its final stage of construction, with two greenhouses to be built by mid-2023.
“We have heeded the feedback from the previous model and are re-orienting the farm’s operations to directly address the community’s needs,” it was stated in the press release. “While the showcase system will remain in use for seedlings and specialised crops, we have integrated traditional growing systems tailored to the specific demands of our Saba community.”
The public entity said residents can expect a more diversified selection of crops, such as lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. These were chosen in response to local preferences, the public entity said.
To cater to this range of crops, the public entity has ordered three kinds of advanced growing systems. Later this month, the government is slated to bring hydroponics experts to the island to help set up the systems and provide training, among other tasks.
The upgraded hydroponics farm includes two aluminium structures that can double as storage facilities and emergency sanctuaries for crops in adverse weather.
“By the end of the year, our hydroponics farm will not just be functional, it will be a model of sustainable agriculture that can weather storms — both literal and metaphorical,” it was stated in the press release.
The public entity has also invested in a truck that will serve as a mobile farmers’ market. The truck will start out by operating 4-5 times in Windwardside and The Bottom, but there are plans
to expand services to St. Johns and Hell’s Gate as demand grows.
The truck will not only sell produce from the hydroponics farm, the farm in The Level, and the Hell’s Gate farm, but also surplus crops from any local farmer.
“We are dedicated to ensuring not just the survival but the thriving of our community. We understand that long-term resilience starts with food security,” the public entity said. “These initiatives represent more than mere programmes. They serve as the foundational pillars upon which the public entity aims to construct a strong and prosperous future for Saba.”
