Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis said he “expects to see” certain fruits and vegetables from the Republic of Haiti being directly imported into The Bahamas by as early as December 2018, as a result of discussions with Haiti’s President, His Excellency Jovenel Moise.

The move is expected to impact the large quantities of fruits and vegetables already being imported into the country (particularly mangoes) from second and sometimes third countries and/or entities that purchase the produce from Haiti in the first instance before exporting them to The Bahamas. Bahamian officials say this process adds to costs for Bahamians.

The Prime Minister’s announcement came during a Joint Press Conference that followed a High-Level Meeting between Prime Minister Minnis and President Moise. The expected outcome is contingent upon the potential direct imports meeting standards set by The Bahamas’ Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources.

The Government of The Bahamas, under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, recently established a Standards Bureau to ensure the safety and security of marine and agricultural imports into the country.

[Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Hon. Renward Wells, participated in the High-Level Meeting along with the (Acting) Director of Agriculture, Mr. Gregory Rahming.]

Bahamian officials say other benefits could include reduced costs on fruits and vegetables for Bahamian consumers and businesses.

“President Moise has said to his Minister of Agriculture that by December 2018, he wants to see fruits and vegetables from Haiti -- meeting all the criteria and conditions that we spoke about -- flowing into The Bahamas,” Prime Minister Minnis said.

“I want to paraphrase [the] President, and this is to my Minister of Agriculture the Hon. Renward Wells, that you have been given the Green Light, you must go; do not allow the Orange light to come on because after that it is the Red Light, and I do not want you to become history.”

Prime Minister Minnis said purchasing fruits and vegetables directly from Haiti “cuts out that number two and that number three man, thereby allowing for the purchase of quality products directly from the source.”

The ability to purchase quality fruits and vegetables directly from Haiti rather than second and third countries and/or entities, should impact Bahamians at the checkout lines.

By Matt Maura