Minister of Agriculture E.P Chet Greene has announced plans to increase local production of pork, poultry, and root crops by the end of 2024.
According to Greene, the majority of pork consumed in the country is imported, with only 6% of the market value being produced locally. The goal is to increase local meat production from 6% to 15%.
To achieve this, the Central Marketing Corporation (CMC) will work with local farmers to source a greater percentage of meat from them, and by 2024, a minimum of 33% of all pork and beef at CMC will be sourced locally.
Greene also highlighted the low level of local poultry production, with only $1.6 million out of a $53 million market being produced locally.
The aim is to increase local poultry production from its current level of 3.071% to at least 10% by the end of 2024.
Greene also plans to increase local production of root and tuber crops, such as cassava and sweet potatoes, which currently make up only 23.2% of the $11.6 million market value.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has expressed support for these plans, stating that eating unprocessed foods could lead to a healthier population.
Greene has also targeted an increase in local production of beverage and spice crops, which have a market value of $7 million, with only $1.9 million being produced locally (27%). The aim is to increase local production to 30%.
Government need to cut down or reduce the importation bills. Too much of these unhealthy imported foods items are damaging the population health and we don’t have proper medical care systems. Also, we need to stop taking up our rich agricultural lands for housing so we can feed ourselves properly. Every time we turn around government is turning rich agricultural lands into housing.
A farmer works his/her agricultural land for seven years. After working the land for seven years, the land would rest for one year so it can build the natural fertilizer back into the soil. That is why a farmer should not cultivate all it portion of lands at once. While one section is resting the other section is being cultivating so foods can always been in stock.