Ag show cancelled in face of COVID and wake of Grace
(CNS): The annual Cayman Islands Agricultural Show has been cancelled for the second year due to coronavirus restrictions as well as the loss and damage suffered by several farmers as a result of Tropical Storm Grace, officials from government and the Agricultural Society said Friday. The show, which usually takes place on Ash Wednesday, attracts thousands of visitors and provide a chance for local farmers to show off and sell their produce.
But this combination of adverse factors has dealt another blow to the farming community at a time when more and more people are realising the importance of expanding and supporting local agriculture.
Agriculture Minister Jay Ebanks said the cancellation of the show was a setback but the circumstances were understandable.
“I have spoken to a number of our commercial farmers who are focused on their farm rehabilitation and recovery efforts at this time. Over the past few months government has been working to support many of our farmers and I feel certain that they will be ready for the next staging of the event,”, he said.
“We injected the largest one time investment in the agricultural sector through the Tropical Storm Grace Farmers’ Assistance Project as well as provided other grants so they will have the resources to help strengthen their resilience to boost the Islands’ food and nutrition security”.
Cayman Islands Agricultural Society President George Smith said the society members supported the cancellation given the situation. “The team at the Ministry and Department of Agriculture have assured us that they will find other ways to highlight the work of the farmers throughout the year,” he added.
The PACT government is striving to invest in local agriculture and has been involved in a number of projects and initiatives to help them recover from Grace and increase production.
The agriculture ministry signed a contract with the society recently to fund the importation of livestock. Government has put up $350,000 for around 180 animals, mostly cattle but also 30 goats, all of which are coming from the US and expected in the next few weeks.
“This strategy to import new animals to our Islands aligns well with our livestock development plan which includes reintroduction of embryo transplant, natural insemination and an upgrade of the artificial insemination programme. This will improve herd and beef quality, increase production as well as enhance the local genetics of the livestock sector. All of this will be supported by our establishment of the National Livestock Identification Tracking System,” Ebanks said.
Over 90 commercial farmers recently received over $1.7 million under the Tropical Storm Grace Farmers’ Assistance Project to support those who lost crops, livestock, farm infrastructure and income as a result of the storm in August. Government has set aside a total of CI$3 million for the project, the single largest investment of its kind in the agricultural sector.
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Category: Agriculture, Business, Local News
Why were millionaires receiving the grant….30 goats???? 30 goats are eaten every Friday.
Where this information from?
I’d love to know what the hell these ‘farmers’ grow and who they sell it too. The price of fresh fruit and vegetables on this island is bordering on criminal. Ripped off at every turn.
There are farmers’ markets and produce all of over GT and BT.
When you visit next time – just stop by one.
*farmers’ markets and produce stands… all over…GT..
Of course it’s cancelled. If the farmers had anything to showcase they wouldn’t have got the 20k each! I mean come on, you would rather play dominoes everyday right?
An earlier article referred to stipends being paid out to 1200 farmers, I had no idea we had so many, were some of them out of work tourism employees?.
No but they were all voters
Next year they can have a new category “biggest marijuana plant”.
Like the tree in my backyard 🤪😳😵💫
For that crop, you don’t want the plant to waste nutrient energy growing taller, just fat healthy shrub leaves, and thick crystalline budding – keeping the females from the males. If you’re anxious to go to jail, do it properly.
The Government needs to better organise and explain/justify its COVID safety recommendations/requirements. We’re in stage whatever of the tourism reopening and by law you can have a couple of hundred people at an event, without counting staff, but the implied recommendation seems to be ‘please do not have events’. It makes the guidance hard to follow when it and its rational is unclear and perhaps inconsistent. – regardless of where you personal opinion falls on the reopen/quarantine continuum.
Local beef will still be priced the same as imported. This will do nothing except create a second windfall for grant recipients and of course secure certain votes for the next clown race.
Supply & Demand Economics:
Demand for local beef outstrips supply.
Local beef prices therefore reflect market, i.e., imported, prices. Since people buy by quality/price primarily.
With better marketing some local beef could demand a premium over some imported beef of similar cut/quality.
For local produce to reduce cost the quantity has to outstrip demand. Such as when there is a glut of mangoes on the market and its sell them cheap or watch them rot as your customer goes to the other stall, driving the price below imported mangoes (of a similar or even lesser quality).
@ 3:23pm – It’s more than supply/demand. Don’t overlook the fact that, in many cases, the costs to deliver local product to the public is far higher than the imported product. The previous stipends and referenced subsidies are supposedly to defray the losses to local farmers (some really are) from lockdown and damage from TS Grace, respectively, and get them back into full operations.
However, under normal operating conditions with the costs of imported labour/fertilizers/weed-killers/supplies/equipment, etc., local farmers cannot compete with most imported produce.
Would it be helpful if Government gave real commercial farmers these “special grants” permanently in the form of discounted (or waived) WP fees and import duties for their farms or if documented farmers could get discounts on related supplies/equipment at local suppliers? Yes, of course! Would farmers pass it on directly to customers? Most likely. Hence local produce would be better able to compete in supermarkets.
This approach could be explored and would certainly support the resurgence of local farming over the past decade.
Well it is not about the price but rather HAVING locally grown/produced food.
In 1896 Alfred Henry Lewis stated, “the only barrier between us and anarchy is the last nine meals we’ve had.”
I hope pandemic has taught food import dependent countries that cargo ships could stop coming without a warning.
This is the smart thing to. It isn’t worth the risks. Next year the show will be back.
What a shame! Outdoors AG show! Zero chance of getting the virus, ESPECIALLY when everyone in Cayman still wears a face 😷.
on their chin or right below the nose. Apparently, Covid is caught on the neck.