Anguillian Government officials, members of the Anguilla Farmers’ Association and others, have been told about the importance of growing more agricultural crops to reduce high-cost imports, and for local people to eat what they grow.
The timely advice was given at the opening ceremony of the Third Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers of Agriculture which was held in Anguilla, at La Vue Conference Centre ,on April 28.
Mr. Arthur M. Nibbs, Chairman of the OECS Ministerial Council of Ministers of Agriculture, told the gathering: “I have particularly opted not to go in the area of flowery language and nice words, which we continue to make about food security, but at the end of the day our people are still dying from cancer which means that we are not eating correctly. Too much processed food is being consumed.
“We have to really see what we are doing in terms of our food consumption as human beings. We are what we eat, that’s what we are; and we want to encourage you to grow what you eat and eat what you grow; and at the end of the day you will have a better lifestyle.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Allister Mounsey, Acting Head of the OECS Economic Development Policy Unit, said that among the areas of discussion at the meeting were the further diversification of the agricultural sector in the sub-region and improving nutritional value in school-feeding programmes. He added: “This meeting is highly significant in shaping the future development of this sector. I am confident that when it is concluded a further critical milestone will be achieved in the agricultural future that we seek.”
Anguilla’s Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Curtis Richardson, observed that the OECS sub-region was “already plagued by limited resources, while shouldering high food import bills.” He therefore commended the idea of the sub-region working together in an effort to overcome individual difficulties and for the member islands to support each other towards achieving agricultural development.
Minister Richardson added that he had requested a revisit of the agricultural sector in Anguilla to develop a new and appropriate agricultural policy “with the intention of utilising our limited agricultural resources in a sustainable way.”
