Community, Backyard Farming and Agricultural Education — Minister Saboto Caesar Leads Initiative for Cheaper, Healthier Food in 2026
Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines — As part of the Minister’s six-point plan to deliver cheaper and healthier food in 2026, Hon. Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, is spearheading a national initiative focused on community-based farming and the revitalization of agricultural education.
Minister Caesar emphasized that empowering communities to grow their own food is essential to reducing household food costs. The Zero Hunger Trust Fund over the past years have support the Ministry of Agriculture in these food security initiatives.
“We are expanding support for backyard gardens, school farms, and urban agriculture,” said Minister Caesar. “This is about putting tools in the hands of our people—seedlings, compost, and training—so they can grow what they eat and eat what they grow. Persons importing platforms for vertical production of vegetables are guaranteed duty concessions.”
In a major step forward, St. Martin’s Secondary School has officially added Agricultural Science to its CXC curriculum, joining other recent additions by the St. Vincent Boys Grammar School and the St. Vincent Girls High School in offering students a formal education in agriculture.
Minister Caesar also acknowledged the early contributions of Bishop’s College Kingstown and the North Union Secondary School, which have long championed agricultural learning and hands-on farming practices. These pioneering efforts laid the foundation for today’s renewed focus on agriculture in education.
“Agriculture is returning to its pride of place,” Caesar noted. “When our youth understand the science and value of food production, we are building a future that is self-reliant and resilient.”
The Ministry of Agriculture is working closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure that students not only learn theory but also engage in hands-on farming experiences, including hydroponics, composting, and crop management. At the launch of World Food Day 2025, the Chief Agriculture Officer, Mr Renato Gumbs outlined, “the Ministry of Agriculture has the the care of the current farmers and the Ministry of Education nutures the future farmers.”
“A nation that can feed itself is a safe place to live,” Caesar added. “We are proud to see our schools becoming incubators for the next generation of farmers, agro-entrepreneurs, and food scientists.”
The government will continue to roll out support programs for community and backyard farming initiatives, including technical workshops, access to land, and partnerships with local cooperatives. Backyard farmers are now offered IDs for their category of farming through the Farmer’s Support Company.
