BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS(CUOPM) – A Spring Visit to the 20-acre Agro-Tourism Farm by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas on Thursday, will mark the completion of the first phase and the start of phase two.
Dubbed "Flora Appreciation," Prime Minister Douglas, who came up with the concept in the Sir Gilles area, along with Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Mr. Miguel Tsao, will visit the facility, which upon completion is expected to become a major tourist attraction.
Phase One of the project, financed by the Government of Taiwan, saw the construction of a 16,956 square Green House comprising 1,600 pieces of glass weighing 24 tons and secured by 12,000 screws, a Botanic Garden, Fruit Farm and two Flag Images at the entrance. Ten local workers have been hired to assist in some fields of functioning the Farm.
The second phase construction project includes the building of the Tourist Activity Center, Tea House, Entry Point (one arch with ten vertical vegetation panels) and toilet/restroom facility to be completed by the end of the year.
Thirty 40-foot containers are on their way from Taiwan for this construction phase, which will see the erection of a steel structure and precast panels.
Prime Minister Douglas has described the project as "an outstanding example of the wonderful interplay and symbiosis between agriculture and tourism in this country – two pillars of this nation’s social and economic well-being."
"The mere optics at this site instantly give one a sense of the reach and scope of this project, and I very much look forward to the day when old and young alike, from throughout the Federation, will be able to stroll through the botanical gardens which will emerge at this site, enjoying the beauty of it all, even as they gain ever greater insights of its multi-faceted contributions to our well-being as a people," said Dr. Douglas in an earlier statement.
Photos of green house and flowers at the Agro-Tourism Farm (Photos & Story by Erasmus Williams)