EDITOR: The leadership of the ULP and the NDP as recently as two years or so ago were on the same page. They both expressed the view, that we here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines could not depend on agriculture to contribute significantly to the economic development of our country and its people.

They clearly indicated that the emphasis should be on ‘Tourism’. Considering the distinct lesson from history, that the British had for centuries used the lands of
these Caribbean islands to plant crops, the incomes from which allowed them to create a strong economy, the results of which are allowing them to enjoy a good
quality of living up to today.

They did so successfully using the ‘slave labour’ of Africans, our forebears!

It amazes me that less than fifty years after we have become an independent nation our leaders could conclude that we cannot use agriculture to improve the well-being of our people. And where [are] our scholars? Had they anything to say to this? For some time now, I have concluded that ‘our scholars’- those persons of the intellectual capacity and who as a result of their training and their stature in the society seemed disposed to helping in the charting of a course, a route, to our development have indeed proved to be traitors to that cause!

The ‘scholars’ have become ‘scholars’. They thrill themselves ‘sealing’ up the sides of the prominent societal structures, but very much like the ‘slug’, the pest which climbs up the farmer’s lettuce stand to eat the tender leaves, the evidence of its visit is seen in the daylight as but a track of dried transparent slime, nothing with which one can build!

In 2001 our minds were set so it seemed on the vitalization of our agricultural sector. Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP had convinced us that they were sincere in their promise to repair the feeder roads and give serious attention to the Banana Industry.

On the strength of those promises the farmers gave the ULP strong support in that election! Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP have not honoured their promises, and today the Banana Industry is dead, leaving thousands of citizens without a source of regular dependable income. The feeder roads are in the worst condition that they have ever been in living memory!

Today, as the nations of the world are expressing their concern for their food security we are hearing our local politicians of the ULP and NDP spouting the fortifying of Agriculture. Given their utterances relating to the importance and potential of our agriculture just a few years ago, could the farmers faithfully rely on them? I don’t think so. Conscientious citizens need to be actively involved in a process to determine how our country is to proceed. Our indifference and reticence of the past few decades is threatening the welfare [of] the younger generations on whom will rest the responsibility to repay the debts which we have unnecessarily incurred.

LeRoy Providence