Government focuses on agriculture

Acting Chief Agricultural & Veterinary Officer
Adrian Estwick holds a pepper twig with a caterpillar
as Permanent Secretary Kearney Gomez looks on.

Minister of District Administration, Planning,
Agriculture & Housing (DAPA&H) Hon. Kurt Tibbetts
(left) talks with Bodden Town farmer Leroy Mitchell in
front of his tilapia tanks. Deputy Permanent Secretary
Leyda Nicholson-Coe and Acting Chief Agricultural &
Veterinary Officer Adrian Estwick look on.

A smiling pig at William Ebanks’ pig farm in North Side.

A day old “kid” and her mother on Harvey
Stephenson’s farm in Bodden Town.

Tuesday,  August 9, 2005

The Leader of Government Business Hon. Kurt Tibbetts was down on several Farms recently in his role as Minister for Agriculture when he and Cabinet officials and representatives from the Department were welcomed by some of Cayman’s local farmers and agricultural facilities.

Mr Tibbetts was clear in his intent to support local farmers in recovering from losses suffered during Hurricane Ivan. “I’ll ensure that the Department assists farmers so they aren’t inhibited by the recovery process,” Mr. Tibbetts said.

Joining Mr Tibbetts on the tour was Permanent Secretary Kearney Gomez; Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary Leyda Nicholson-Coe; and MLA’s Lucille Seymour, Alfonso Wright and Osbourne Bodden.

Representing the DoA were Acting Chief Agricultural & Veterinary Officer Adrian Estwick; Acting Assistant Director Brian Crichlow; Data Communications Officer Marjane Ebanks-Fellows; High Tech Agriculturalist Alexander Benn; and Agronomist Raymond Coleman.

The visiting party saw firsthand the progress made by farmers who have received help under the Agricultural Sector Assistance Programme (ASAP), a 1.6 million dollar package comprising “hands on” technical aid to farmers as well as grants and loans to help with post-Ivan recovery.

At Leroy Mitchell’s Bodden Town aquaculture and crop farm, the group viewed three large freshwater tanks containing hundreds of tilapia. Once the fish have reached about 1lb in weight they are sold to a local supermarket. In addition to raising fish, Mr Mitchell raises small quantities of crops including watermelon, yam, cassava, coconut, ackee, guava and citrus.

His farm sustained damage from Hurricane Ivan and he lost over 500 fish and many plants and fruit trees. Through the ASAP programme help was provided to clean up and rehabilitate his farm. Today, however, most of the fruit and vegetable crops he raises are given away. “Selling is good but giving something away is worth a million dollars,” Mr. Mitchell said.

At Otto Watler’s mango plantation in Lower Valley the group viewed a field where the evidence of Ivan’s devastation was clear. Almost 150 mango trees blew down and attempts to right them after the storm led to root damage which, along with the seven month drought, resulted in most of those trees failing to survive.

Mr Watler, whose honeybee operation was also devastated during Ivan, made clear his intention to triumph over the storm’s setback: “There is no one who loves agriculture more than I,” he told Mr Tibbetts. Also a recipient of Government assistance from the ASAP programme, he has just prepared holes for new mango trees which are on order through the DoA.

The group then stopped at Roger Ebanks’ farm which borders Northward Prison. He also had lost most of his vegetable crops during Ivan but thanks to the Department’s help, he has since replaced much of his losses.

Harvey Stephenson whose farm is on high ground behind Bodden Town, was fortunate among goat farmers for he had no livestock losses during Ivan. The storm did damage animal pens and storage sheds but he rebuilt them, receiving funding from the ASAP programme to help counter the cost.

At William Ebanks’ farm in North Side the group toured three pens which shelter over 200 pigs and were shown areas that are receiving roof repairs. Mr. Ebanks has about 30 breeder stock at present but needs a minimum of 35-40 breeders to meet pre-Ivan production levels. Some of the breeder pigs can have up to 20 piglets and he works hard to ensure his production levels are achieved. “Working with pigs is like being in a maternity ward and the results depend on the interest you put into it,” Mr. Ebanks said.

.Back...