Newly appointed Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Hon. Michael Pintard while on an official visit to the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute’s (BAMSI) North Andros site last week Thursday, told some 200 employees of the Institute that he holds a different notion of what BAMSI should be than what has historically been shared. The visit was conducted as part of the Minister’s mission to understand the role and operations of BAMSI and to familiarize himself with staff members. It included stops at BAMSI’s Research and tutorial farm, school campus and other related offices and entities.
Minister Pintard, who also shared a part of his vision for food security and import substitution opportunities that exist within the agriculture and marine resources sector, noted that going forward some operations would be fundamentally different. The changes would come, he assured staff members, after necessary research, and discussions with strategic players, including former Minister of Agriculture Renward Wells whose passion for the sector is unwavering, board members and the senior management team. He told the team that in short order he would sit with them and share the new strategic way forward. He also challenged the North Andros staff to be excellent in the execution of their jobs.
Minister Pintard, who studied Agricultural Economics at McGill University, said at that stage of his academic development it became clear that a lot of the agricultural concerns that sometimes hindered the development of the sector are political nature. Policy makers sometimes lacked the will and vision to make the marine resources and agricultural industries work at an optimum level. He also noted as with the tourism sector, many workers confused service with servitude and that agriculture’s close entanglement with the slave era had cast a deep stain on the sector, causing the younger generation to disengage and quickly turn away from opportunities provided in those industries.
The governement, through agency’s like BAMSI, will have an opportunity to change the condition of the Bahamian people. “I keep in mind the reason I was motivated to study agriculture, it was about changing the condition of our people. We are going to increase not just food production, but the production of non-food items as well. And remember, BAIC is an integral part of this ministry also,” he said.
Minister Pintard also highlighted the fact that if in the areas where the country is producing the most basic items, it is not doing so in the quantities that are needed to satisfy the demands of the market. Looking at poultry production, despite the fact that Bahamians consume a tremendous amount of chicken, currently producers can only supply some 30 per cent of what the market requires. He also questioned why the sector is not producing the feed that the animals require. “There are opportunities everywhere, why are we not processing those things…” he said.
Accompanying the minister was Parliamentary Secretary Carlton Bowleg, who is also the Member of Parliament for North Andros and the Berry Islands. Representing BAMSI was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and General Manager Mr. Alaasis Braynen, and members of the Public Relations and IT teams.
Highlighting the Institute’s mission to formulate a sustainable food security plan and introduce initiatives that will help reduce this nation’s $1 billion-dollar food import bill, the group toured the Lan’ Crab Cafeteria, Organic Solar, and the research division – including the campus facilities and the BARTAD Building – which are headed by Executive Director Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna. While at the latter location, Registrar Deanne Williamson introduced Minister Pintard and the delegation to the support staff and led them on a tour of the classrooms and labs. The group also visited the Packing Houses where Minister Pintard was able to witness the post- harvest procedures that are implemented to ensure the produce is properly prepared for shipment to New Providence.
The tour also included the Research and Tutorial Farms, with the Minister visiting a number of sections including bananas, citrus fruits, papayas, coconuts and pineapples. He also stopped at the Livestock Unit, which currently houses some 500 sheep and goats. This particular part of the tour highlighted BAMSI’s ability to impact the island’s economy and to support young Bahamian entrepreneurs. As part of their feed protocol, BAMSI’s livestock feed includes grass grown hydroponically by Cerone Dean, proprietor of Organic Solar. This technology is changing the way livestock is fed in the Bahamas by producing organically grown, non-GMO feed.
“Opportunities exist, why are we not taking advantage of it? Government’s role, as should be BAMSI’s role, is to facilitate – allow those who do it well to do to it, especially within the private sector,” Minister Pintard said. “The workforce can be an incubator – if you’re getting it right in banana production, help the private sector get it right”.
Mr Pintard also touched on Cerone Dean’s Organic Solar operation. “How do we help him duplicate what he is doing multiple times over so that he can grow – that is our role in government. For some of you, you only needed a brief stop to catch yourself and then pursue the thing that is your passion. You may be interested in shrimp farming, [BAMSI] is the place to learn about it.”
Mr. Bowleg, who had the opportunity to address the delegation and staff members, shared his support for BAMSI, in particular how its success also meant the expansion of the island’s economy. He reiterated the Government’s position that it is critical the nation arrives at an acceptable level of food security through the introduction of sustainable measures. “We eat what we grow and grow what we eat,” he said. The Minister also commented on Bowleg’s almost unique relationship with his constituents, saying that he had gone out of his way to create employment opportunities for the people of North Andros.
On a more personal level, Minister Pintard met with staff at the various locations which gave them the opportunity to share their stories, ask questions and voice their concerns.
At the conclusion, the visit was identified as being fruitful and promising in terms of the ability of BAMSI to work cohesively with the local community, sister agencies, and innovative and creative entrepreneurs to empower, sustain and improve the entire agricultural sector. BAMSI’s Livestock Unit currently houses some 500 sheep and goats, a mixture of pure bred animals and native breeds.
