The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday hailed a $3m partnership with an Israeli company as a “red letter day” in The Bahamas drive for greater food security following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clay Sweeting, minister for agriculture, marine resources and Family Island affairs, said the tie-up with Volcani International Partnerships (VIP) is a “step in the right direction” in the Government’s drive to slash the country’s $1bn food import bill.

The partnership will see Volcani apply its technical expertise in “innovative food production” strategies, and developing agricultural entrepreneurs with the ability to export, to The Bahamas. Volcani representatives and ministry officials will travel to Abaco, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera to determine where the company’s efforts will be best directed.

The key objectives involve the creation of “cultivation centres” for Eleuthera and New Providence, with plans to expand this to other Family Islands. Mr Sweeting said the initiative will also involve setting up “food kitchens” at these centres, where farmers can process product that will not be sold on the open market.

“We will also add a fish and farm store component as well, which we know is a challenge because these imports are one of the biggest issues why some farmers are not successful in their country,” Mr Sweeting said.

He added that his ministry is “pleased to partner with VIP experts to pinpoint challenges and solutions to accelerate our country’s food systems. VIP is here to share advisory services through innovative soil testing and other technological advances”.

Mr Sweeting said: “In totality, it is estimated [the project will involve investment worth] around $3m for New Providence and Eleuthera, and we have some additional items such as a food kitchen and some other things that would be added to that”. He added that the Government is targeting a 10 percent reduction in poultry imports with Volcani’s assistance through these cultivation centres.

Mr Sweeting said: “As you can see, during the Budget debate we were very aggressive. Agriculture was able to second the budget, which shows that the Prime Minister and our food security will play a pivotal role in how we move forwards.

“Some concessions, some incentives, were added in the Budget. We’re going strong to help the poultry industry. Roughly we consume around 70m pounds of poultry in this country, and we only produce 5 percent of that, so it’s a large market.

“CARICOM is trying to work together to ensure that every country produces their own poultry that we don’t import, so we’re working very hard with that sector because we feel like there’s some low hanging fruit, especially with the egg layers that we can get going right away.”