Agricultural Society enjoys a fruitful year

Hon Gilbert A McLean JP, Minister for Health Services,
Aviation, Agriculture and Works, gives the address at
the Agricultural Society Annual General Meeting to a
packed audience

Agricultural Society members and guests enjoy some
agricultural produce, including fried plantain, stewed
turtle and local heavy cake at the Society’s Annual
General Meeting

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

The annual Agricultural Society Annual General Meeting took place on Thursday, 22 July at the Agricultural Pavilion, Lower Valley.

At the meeting, which was attended by over 100 Agricultural Society members and guests, was guest speaker, Hon Gilbert A. McLean, JP, Minister for Health Services, Aviation, Agriculture and Works.

During his address, Gilbert McLean reassured those present that measures being put in place to deal with the outbreak of the Pink Hibiscus Mealy Bug were adequate. He cited the new compliance agreements that have arisen as a result of negotiations with US Department of Agriculture officials and South Florida nurseries.

Speaking about the impact of Mad Cow disease and the Department of Agriculture’s mandate to protect public health in regard to food safety, minister McLean praised the work of the Department of Agriculture. He said that they had been “quick to respond in putting measures in place to protect the health of our local people and livestock.”

“Whether it is imported, or locally produced, there must be no compromise of food safety.”

The topic of food safety led the minister to speak about the construction of the new abattoir.

He said “I am extremely pleased to inform you tonight that within three months, we will have available to us right here in Cayman, the first abattoir facility.

“I am sure that working together, we can make a success of it, so that everyone wins.”

The minister went on to speak about exciting new developments, including a new policy covering the future development of aquaculture in the Cayman Islands.

This policy would help ensure that the principle beneficiaries would be Caymanians, he said.

Agricultural Society President John McLean spoke of the year’s achievements. He said: “We can look at the year with pride because we have accomplished much.”

One of the highlights in the year of the society had been the sponsoring of a young Caymanian to study agriculture and veterinary medicine in the USA

“We are giving a grant of approximately $25,000 to continue their studies in agriculture,” he said.

John McLean stressed the advances that agriculture had made over the past years.

“We have come from nowhere, and we now have quality in the country,” he said. “We had a lot of scrub animals, and today, we have quality animals and quality crops.

“I think that agriculture could do a lot more with the assistance of government. With some assistance, and everybody putting their mind to what needs to be done, we can do a lot more than we have right now.”

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