Agriculture Minister V. Alfred Gray

AS 40 students begin the school term at the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), Agriculture Minister V. Alfred Gray touted the institution’s expanding production of food yesterday as he pledged that the price of food imports will be cut in half by 2021 because of BAMSI’s work.

Reducing the country’s reliance on food imports is the prime reason for BAMSI’s existence and Mr. Gray said within the last year about $100 million worth of food in the country was supplied by BAMSI.

The institution’s most prosperous crop has been banana, with 200 produced each week, he said. Bananas are then sold in major food stores as well as BAMSI’s store.

The institution also has four and a half acres worth of coconuts under production. This will be expanded to 10 acres within months, Mr. Gray said.

“It is envisioned that soon we will import no coconut water in the Bahamas,” he added. “It is intended that BAMSI will soon be able to produce coconut water for Bahamian consumption.”

Four and half acres of limes, two acres of papaya, 35 acres of mangoes, 30 acres of avocados and four and half acres of plantains are also under production.

About 100 associated farmers work with BAMSI in a programme to grow crops and sell them to BAMSI.

The farmers have “strict” requirements to adhere to, including international standards for fertilisation, usage and preservation, Mr. Gray said.

He said the marine farming side of BAMSI has not progressed as quickly as the agriculture side.

“That’s because it’s much more technical to grow fish than to grow plants,” he said, adding that 3,000 pounds of hydroponically grown lettuce have already been grown and shipped to New Providence within the last few months.

Noting that the Bahamas imports about $900m worth of food each year, Mr. Gray said: “(BAMSI) is in the process of launching a major project, Agri-vision 2021, which is a five-year food security plan to feed the Bahamas.

“It is envisioned that this food security plan over the next five years will take local production to the half billion dollar mark in local output.”

As for livestock, Mr. Gray said whereas BAMSI started off with 23 sheep and goats in 2014, it now has 437 such animals, some of which have been imported and others which have been born at the farm.

Mr. Gray said a projected 52 people will graduate from BAMSI next year.

By Rashad Rolle, Tribune Staff Reporter

Click here to read more at The Tribune