The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) aims to create a coconut water industry in The Bahamas "within the next six months," according to Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray.
Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Gray stated that the North Andros institute would develop a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Bahamas Agricultural Industrial Corporation (BAIC) to cultivate approximately 215 acres of coconuts by March 2015.
"It is the hope of BAMSI, together with BAIC, to create a coconut water industry for The Bahamas within the next six months. No longer will we have to purchase from outside The Bahamas coconut water for consumption in The Bahamas. It will all be grown right here at BAMSI in North Andros," said Gray.
BAMSI has dedicated five acres of land for coconut production to date, and plans to add an additional ten acres before the end of the year.
Regarding the institute's overall progress, Gray claimed that BAMSI had already taken a "historic" step towards food security and self-sufficiency, with over 75 acres of various crops under cultivation, alongside a growing livestock component.
The minister noted that 22 acres of bananas and 25 acres of papaya were ready for harvest, and that the distribution and sale of produce had already begun through BAIC.
The corporation reported that all of the fruits harvested to date had already been sold, according to Gray. BAIC has reportedly entered into contracts to sell all of BAMSI's projected harvest for the next year.
Gray stated that BAMSI had 18 operating beehives and would begin honey production by Christmas 2014 to further reduce the country's dependency on food imports.
Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner had concerns over the institute and asked for clarification regarding BAMSI's sales, arguing that the institute had been introduced as a school.
"I don't recall, and maybe [Gray] can remind this honorable house with the business plan regarding BAMSI, where the funds are actually going with regards to the produce that they say is being sold," said Butler-Turner.
Gray stressed that the commercial aspect of BAMSI was necessary to eventually prevent the institute from being "a drain on the public treasury."

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