A new approach to Agriculture

Editor: There is a lot of public discussion taking place in SVG as to which Government “Killed Banana” and by extension Agriculture. The fact is since the 1980’s, we knew of the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which was designed to regulate world trade and the fact that our Banana Industry was structured around a protected market in Europe, it goes without saying the protection we enjoyed was counter to the WTO mandate of free trade.{{more}} Therefore, when Dole and Chiquita, under the disguise of the Latin Americans successfully challenged our protection at the WTO, the removal and dismantling of such protection creates our reality as exists today. The decisions of the WTO were totally devastating to the Banana industry, albeit external and beyond our control. Today, I am advised that the Government has secured a Grant from the European Union of just over EUROs nine million, to inject into the Agriculture sector. Some experts are seeing this as the last train to San Fernando or the last opportunity to really create a new approach towards the sector. Now, therefore, is not the time for blaming, but to use this cash injection as the impetus needed to create a new culture and new support structures to develop the industry.

This new culture must engender a spirit of buy local and support local as a necessity. It must also effect new waves of confidence and entrepreneurship to finance and create new business opportunities for the sector. Finally, this new culture must emphasize the need for a more scientific and market research towards investment in the sector. For example, do we know if carrots grown in the Rose Hall area have more nutritional value than the cheaper imports from Trinidad, or is it the preference of the modern housewife to go to the Central Market on Saturdays to buy produce with dirt or to purchase her produce at the supermarket where the produce is cleaned and pre-packed? The new support structures must be guided by a developmental approach, a point opined by my friend Clive Bishop, which I personally support. This point is in no way suggests “handouts”; instead, support an approach based on ensuring that any fallout that will be created due to our historic decision to sub-divide lands into small parcels enhances the economic competitiveness of our farmers. The approach will be very beneficial to mitigate the impact on farmers who might be encouraged to shift from Banana into other crops, or to encourage young graduates from university to invest in agriculture to create employment, instead of seeking employment from the Government. New structures that will allow for access to funding with programmes that will help guide the farme/investor through the infancy/transition stages, procurement and marketing, money and farm management etc.

These changes require Minister Saboto Caesar and his team to facilitate some serious planning sessions to develop a plan that involves all stakeholders. Now is the time for all hands on deck and, according to my good friend Mr. Hugh Stewart: “Agriculture is everybody’s business”. We have the capacity locally in the likes of Reuben Robertson, Clive Bishop, Hugh Stewart, Sydney Tucker, LAP, Richard Minors, Bigger Biggs etc to make the changes. Let us see the opportunities rather than divide our efforts to the detriment of ourselves and our future generations.

Maff