Natural Resources Minister, Dr The Hon. Kedrick Pickering said, “We still have not arrived at a place in the BVI where we are producing water at a the level at which we can sustain the farmers, we can’t even sustain our households, so we still are a long way off in terms of being able to produce water that will help to make agriculture sustainable.” Photo: VINO

Dr Pickering thanked representative of CIBC First Caribbean Bank, Mr Darren Vanterpool, for his organisation’s initiative. Photo: VINO

Participants at the training seminar. Photo: VINO

Participants at the training seminar. Photo: VINO

Participants at the training seminar. Photo: VINO

Dr Pickering made these disclosures in delivering remarks at a ceremony on April 15, 2013 to mark the opening of a CIBC First Bank and Department of Agriculture's training initiative on Agribusiness for farmers in the Territory.

The Deputy Premier, while praising the two entities for the initiative stated, “We still have not arrived at a place in the BVI where we are producing water at a the level at which we can sustain the farmers, we can’t even sustain our households, so we still are a long way off in terms of being able to produce water that will help to make agriculture sustainable,” he expressed.

He noted that as a result of the training, farmers, business owners and entrepreneurs would be given appropriate tools to move forward in the great Virgin Islands (VI) heritage (farming) that was once very distinguished in the local economy.

Inviting participants to employ ingenuity in their field, Dr Pickering repeated an often made statement that new ways were required to get things done. “There’s no way you can plough those hills up there,” he said, “it hasn’t rained for the better part of this year.”

Dr Pickering felt that participants in the training exercise would learn of ways to multiply, sustain the industry and eventually strengthen and possibly propel the economy through agriculture. He thanked representative of CIBC First Caribbean Bank, Mr Darren Vanterpool, for his organisation’s initiative in this regard.

“Even if self-sufficiency may yet be a distant prospect,” Dr Pickering reasoned, “the lesser goal of substantial increases in local output is itself a cause for celebration.”

Reflecting on the global economic crisis and its resultant impact on the Territory’s economic pillars of financial services and tourism, The Deputy Premier said, “There has never been a more pressing need to diversify the BVI economy.”

According to Dr Pickering, the boost to the agriculture sector that is now being planned was perhaps very significant example of diversification that the VI so urgently needs.

He highlighted benefits for consumers in the form of a wider choice of fresh produce accompanied by benefits to the VI in the form of import substitution and export potential added to environmental benefits that came with the avoidance of environmentally damaged produce transportation.

Criticisms on ignoring agriculture

“I think most of you also are fully aware that I have placed a tremendous amount of effort on improving the fishing industry and I know I’ve come under criticism for ignoring agriculture by some people in the agriculture,” the Natural Resources Minister stated.

“Be that as it may,” he continued, “one has to stay focused on the goal at hand.”

Dr Pickering suggested that things that the Territory has achieved in fishing, allowed not only for an improvement of the fishing industry, but also for the ability to ‘set a pace’ that will be followed within the agricultural industry.

He felt this would allow persons to become fully aware that the Ministry is working diligently to advance both of the industries.

“I can’t say with all sincerity that I have the same level of enthusiasm for agriculture like I’ve demonstrated for fishing, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have the interest in it and I’m not going to put as much energy from the government’s point of view to make sure that we make this industry work,” he added.

“I believe that it is critical if we are going to advance agriculture that we look at specific food items and food crops that we can use our ingenuity and produce it from the ground and we know that we have a ready market,” he said.

The Deputy Premier reminded persons of his encouragement for building and branding the unique novelty of pumpkin soup to hotels around the Territory, referring to the vegetable as a potential cash crop with a readily available market.

“If people enjoy the pumpkin soup, then they would be yearning for the other produce that you will be working so diligently to bring forward,” Dr Pickering said.