FIRST, I WOULD LIKE to commend Natasha Walcott on her letter in the November 19 DAILY NATION titled No Longer A Proud Bajan. I could not have said it any better.
Now, on the matter of the closing of Nature’s Produce farm on the 125-acre plantation in St Peter. It is a shame and a great loss for the country.
If I could, I would, but can someone (preferably a Barbadian) please come forward and purchase this property, so that we can once again concentrate on the main goal here and that’s food.
Agriculture is something that maybe our Government can invest in with our hard-earned tax dollars instead of the now dwindling tourism industry.
Let us face the facts. The tourist of today is not like that of yesteryear. Times are hard, travel is expensive. Marketing and advertising this great island can only be successful to a certain extent. People are not spending like before and money is not circulating rapidly enough in order to see a profit.
There is a lack of support in the farm industry. Bajans are subjected to extremely pricy and inferior products in the supermarket. Who can afford it? Help to subsidise the farmers and put a stop to unnecessary importing. Bring down the food bill, which is one of the biggest debts the country faces.
Apparently St Vincent has the lowest food bill in the Caribbean. Why? Everything is home-grown.
Let us stop all the talk and come together with a viable solution because at the end of the day you cannot eat the tourist.
– DEBORAH HUNTE
