President of Parliament endorses Minister Connor's breadfruit initiative, suggests expansion to more fruit trees and vegetables.

GREAT BAY--President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams has endorsed Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Claret Connor's initiative to distribute breadfruit trees across St. Maarten, while calling for the effort to be expanded to include other fruit trees and vegetables. She also wants renewed attention given to the problem of vervet monkeys destroying crops, warning that efforts to encourage residents to grow their own food must address the obstacles they face.

In a letter to Minister Connor, Wescot-Williams welcomed the initiative, which was announced on World Food Day, describing it as a practical contribution to strengthening local food security.

"This is a practical, down-to-earth step toward food security, and it deserves our full support," said Wescot-Williams. "Breadfruit has fed our people for generations. We can build on that."

The President of Parliament suggested expanding the distribution initiative to include fruit trees that grow easily in St. Maarten, including banana, coconut, avocado, mango and tamarind trees, along with quick-harvest vegetables. Such an expansion, she believes, could encourage more households to produce some of their own food and make greater use of available yard space.

She also proposed developing short instructional videos featuring local growers demonstrating how to plant, maintain and care for the trees. These videos could be shared through social media, schools and community organizations to help residents successfully grow and maintain their plants.

Wescot-Williams pointed to her own backyard as an example of what households can accomplish with limited space. She currently grows breadfruit, avocado, banana, coconut and mango trees and maintains a small compost barrel for kitchen scraps.

"You don't need a farm. A yard, a little care and some patience will put fruit on your table," she said.

"A tree handed out is a good start. A tree that bears fruit for twenty years is the goal," she added. "Simple guidance in our own voices will help make sure these trees thrive in our yards."

Beyond encouraging household food production, Wescot-Williams announced that she intends to revisit the longstanding problem of vervet monkeys damaging local crops, an issue she believes must be addressed if residents are to be encouraged to invest time and resources in growing their own food.

She recalled that in 2021, Parliament approved her amendment to the national budget allocating NAf 100,000 to the Nature Foundation St. Maarten's Monkey Management Project.

The President of Parliament believes that tackling the monkey problem should form part of broader efforts to promote local food production, particularly as residents may be discouraged from planting when their crops are repeatedly destroyed before they can be harvested.

"Many residents have given up on planting because the monkeys get the harvest before they do," Wescot-Williams concluded. "If we are serious about growing our own food, we must address this too."

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