Gov’t should subsidise agriculture in VI - Wheatley
Wheatley made the comment on the Speak Out BVI show aired on March 25, 2014 and noted that the problems being faced by farmers in the Territory needed to be looked into.
He added that agriculture is very important as with any community and related woes of farmers he had spoken with. One farmer Wheatley said, lamented about the state of farming in the Territory and the difficulties he was facing.
According to the host, the farmer stated that he had not been able to get any water for his animals. “They’re crying out, they’re desperate and they need help,” Wheatley appealed to the powers that be.
The man reportedly told Wheatley that the Paraquita Bay area is a land of water and he could not understand why farmers could not source water from the location for their crops and livestock as they needed to.
The farmer also spoke to Wheatley about the unavailability of feed for livestock and how this had negatively affected his production.
The man complained that during the election season, many persons came around to offer various promises about what they would do for farmers when they get into office but he has come to realise the truth in the old adage that promises are a comfort to a fool.
Over the past few years, farmers involved in both crop and livestock farming across the Territory have complained incessantly about several problems being faced, including water shortages and lack of support from government in various areas.
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8 Responses to “Gov’t should subsidise agriculture in VI - Wheatley”
Locally grown foods 1)reduces the food import bill, 2)enhances food security , 3) reduces leakage in the economy, 4) provides employment, 5) provides fresher and healthier foods, and 6)increases the multiplier effect in the economy with every $$ kept in circulation in the territory.
However, to meet the goal of growing more local food, government will have to provide some subsidies through 1) irrigation,2) transportation, 3) feed,
4) crop management training, 5) fertilizers, ,6)malarket/distribution point, 7)grants, 8)low-interest loans, 9)loan gurantees, and 20)pesticide management. Most governments, especially in developed countries, subsidized agricultural production. Agricultural production is heavily subsidized in the US; without the subsidies domestic and exported food prices would be much higher.
Moreover, local agricultural subsidies must be reflected in market prices to compete with imported food. Additionally, it must also be of a high quality to compete with imported food. The plan and goal should be to meet some of the demand for local consumption, as well some of the demand of the tourism industry.