BAMSI suffers loss of 40 percent of livestock in recent Andros fires

BAMSI President Dr Raveena Roberts-Hanna speaks to reporters during the official handover of two container farms from Eeden Farms to BAMSI on May 6, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer

As of Tuesday, May 7, 2024

By KEILE CAMPBELL

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) president Dr Raveenia Roberts-Hanna said BAMSI’s loss of 40 per cent of livestock pasture due to a fire last month did not greatly affect operations on the island.

“BAMSI sits on 800 acres of land, so we had additional food source for the animals,” she said yesterday, adding that efforts are underway to restore what was lost.

Although BAMSI officials reported no damage to buildings or animals on their North Andros campus, 75 per cent of its mangoes, 40 per cent of livestock pastures, and 30 bee hives were destroyed. Its avocado pasture was also damaged.

Dr Roberts-Hanna said “the fire really progressed to an area that was undeveloped, so we did not have any financial loss there”.

She added: “BAMSI was also very instrumental, actually, in assisting the local firefighters with their fire efforts in that we were able to provide water to refill the trucks.”

Meanwhile, officials could not say who the new chairman of the BAMSI and the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) are.

The Office of the Prime Minister said last month that Southern Shores MP Leroy Major and Senator Tyrell Young –– the chairmen of BAMSI and BAIC, respectively –– were moved from their posts.

Yesterday, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell said the men did a “remarkable job” in their positions and that there will “definitely be replacements in the near future”.

He couldn’t say where the men would be sent, suggesting it would be addressed at Cabinet today.