Tag Archives: Saint Kitts and Nevis

According to allcountrylist, the economic sectors of Saint Kitts and Nevis can be broadly divided into four main categories: industry, agriculture, services, and construction. Industry is the largest sector in Saint Kitts and Nevis and is responsible for roughly 31% of the country’s GDP. This includes manufacturing, mining, energy production and tourism. Agriculture is the second largest sector in Saint Kitts and Nevis and accounts for around 17% of its GDP. It includes crop production, livestock breeding and forestry. Services are the third largest sector in Saint Kitts and Nevis and account for roughly 46% of its GDP. This includes financial services, retail trade, transportation and communication services as well as health care and education services. Lastly, construction is the fourth largest sector in Saint Kitts and Nevis accounting for around 6% of its GDP. This includes building activities related to residential housing as well as nonresidential buildings such as office buildings or hospitals as well as infrastructure activities such as bridges or highways. In terms of economic growth over the past decade or so, Saint Kitts and Nevis has experienced a period of steady growth since 2013 with real GDP increasing by an average rate of 3-4%. This has been driven mainly by strong performance in services which has grown at a rate of 5-6%, while industry has grown at a slightly slower rate of 1-2%. Agriculture has seen positive growth with a rate between 0-1%, while construction has seen relatively stagnant due to weak demand from both domestic and foreign sources. Overall, these sectors have contributed positively to Saint Kitts’ economy with strong performance in services being particularly important for driving economic growth over this period. The history of agriculture in Saint Kitts and Nevis stretches back centuries. The indigenous Caribs of the islands were the first to cultivate crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, corn and beans, as well as fishing and hunting for their sustenance. When European settlers arrived in the 17th century they brought with them new agricultural techniques and crops such as sugarcane, cotton, tobacco and coffee which they planted on large plantations. This type of intensive farming was highly profitable but caused severe environmental damage due to soil erosion and deforestation. As a result, when slavery was abolished in 1834 there was a need for alternative sources of labor which led to the influx of indentured laborers from India who worked on the sugar plantations. In the late 19th century Saint Kitts and Nevis experienced a period of economic decline due to competition from other Caribbean islands as well as economic depression in Europe. This led to a shift away from plantation-style agriculture towards subsistence farming with families growing food for their own consumption or selling it at local markets. By the mid-20th century there had been some attempts at modernizing agriculture with increased mechanization and government support through subsidies or access to credit but this did not have a major impact on production levels. Today agriculture still plays an important role in Saint Kitts and Nevis’ economy although it has been largely overshadowed by tourism which is now the largest contributor to GDP. Nevertheless, smallholder farmers are still present on both islands producing staple crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, yams and plantains for local consumption while some also export produce such as bananas or mangoes abroad. In addition, livestock production is also prevalent with goats being particularly popular due to their ability to graze on marginal lands that are unsuitable for crop cultivation. Overall agricultural production levels remain low in Saint Kitts and Nevis due to limited access to technology or markets as well as soil fertility problems caused by overgrazing or deforestation from past plantation activities. Nevertheless, there have been some recent initiatives by both private companies and government agencies aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural practices such as agroforestry or permaculture which could help increase yields while also protecting natural resources over time. See collegesanduniversitiesinusa for St. Kitts Education and Training.