The second in a series of Empowerment Workshops held by Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) was well received by North Andros farmers. The programme was planned and implemented by deputy general manager Don Major and the Business Services Department.
It was designed to fulfill the vision of Executive Chairman Edison Key that The Bahamas must attain a comfortable degree of food security.
“Our goal is to show farmers and producers how to earn a decent living by feeding the nation and the millions of tourists who visit our shores,” said Mr Major.
“In order to get their produce from the farm to the table, producers must come to grips with the concept that farming is a business and they are responsible for the technical as well as the business dimensions,” he added.
The workshop held last weekend covered both aspects.
Under the theme: ‘Crop scheduling: The orderly planting and harvesting of crops’, the workshop sought to eliminate the cycles of glut and famine resulting in uneven prices and profitability. It was conducted by Senior Agricultural Officer Stephen Adderley of the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources.
“It demonstrated the partnership between BAIC and the Ministry as they work towards achieving a successful farming community, thus leading to a high level of food security,” said Mr Major.
“What was exciting was the number of young people joining the field, working with their parents.”
North Andros Farmers Association president Cecil Gaitor and his team thanked executive chairman Key “for having already fulfilled many of the promises he and BAIC made to North Andros farmers.”
The Empowerment Workshop programme moves next Abaco and then Eleuthera, Long Island and Cat Island.