An official tour of four of Anguilla’s private vegetable farms on Monday this week, has resulted in the Government promising to look into the possibility of placing an embargo on the importation of certain agricultural products during some periods of the year, in order to protect local farmers and enable them to market and sell their produce on the island.

Harvesting cabbage: Hon. Albert Hughes and Hon. Kenneth Harrigan

The invitation to Government to tour the irrigated farms came from the Anguilla Farmers’ Association whose President is retired Public Servant, Elvet Hughes, and with the support of the Department of Agriculture whose Director is William Vanterpool.

Government Officials and Farmers at Rainbow Farms

The touring party included Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming, Ministers Kenneth Harrigan and Evans Rogers, Parliamentary Secretary, Albert Hughes, (who, in the Ministry of Infrastructure, has responsibility for Agriculture); Deputy Governor, Stanley Reid, Permanent Secretaries, tourism and education officials among others with an interest in farming and media representatives. Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, whose father, the late Victor F. Banks served as Agricultural Superintendent in earlier days in Anguilla, was not part of the tour. He was at the time attending a meeting of the Eastern Caribbean Monetary Council in St. Kitts.

Tour of Black’s Vegetable Project in The Valley

The tour began at Black’s Memorial Project in The Valley (in memory of the late Rudolph Gumbs who served as an Extension Officer at the Agricultural Department) where a number of private farmers own various vegetable plots. Speaking just before the start of the tour, William Vanterpool told the gathering that the aim was to sensitize the decision-makers and the general public to the potential of agriculture in Anguilla and what impact farming could have on the island’s fragile economy especially in these difficult times. He said there were a number of other vegetable farms elsewhere on the island and that the Farmers’ Association had expressed the fear that unless there was proper access to the local market a big problem would arise in getting the bulk of produce sold.

Sweet peppers at Black’s Project

The touring party was surprised by the teeming vegetable plots of top quality cabbage, cucumbers, melons, sweet pepper and lettuce and other produce. Mr. Vanterpool estimated that one plot of large cabbages had a value of $21,000.

Frankie Lake at his farm in The Farrington

The tour continued at Frankie’s Organic Farm in The Farrington where tomatoes, cabbage and chives are under cultivation with heavy yields. Earlier, the area had produced an abundance of corn, and plans are underway to extend the farm to include pigeon peas for which there is a high demand in Anguilla and neighbouring St. Martin.

Ministers and others with farmer Hugh Lake at Wallblake

The third stop was at the Government-owned Wallblake Estate land, now leased to a number of farmers. There Hugh Lake and … of Rey Hill showcased their farms and produce. Lake had already harvested a quantity of tomatoes, sweet peppers and eggplants for his market at Proctor’s Supermarket. The other farmer, also of Rey Hill, who already harvested and sold out a plot of cabbage to Cap Juluca, led the way to a large plot of tomatoes and a new area of cabbage soon to be ready for the market.

Farmer Cordell Richardson at Wallblake Farm

The fourth area visited was Rainbow Farms at South Hill, owned by Rhona Richardson-Roydon. On arrival the touring party was greeted by an array of harvested tomatoes and other produce on display and ready for the supermarkets and other outlets. It is one of the most elaborate cultivated fields with various varieties of tomatoes, cabbage, onions, lettuce, peas, other vegetable crops as well as fruit trees.

“I am very impressed. I couldn’t believe what I saw,” Chief Minister Fleming said following the tour. “One of the things we have to look at is protecting the farmers by ensuring that whatever they produce be utilised and sold in Anguilla or beyond the island. We can look at putting embargoes during certain times of the year on the importation of lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage etc so that our people will have an opportunity to sell their produce.”

Mr. Fleming made the point that there was a need to produce large amounts of foodstuff in Anguilla to sustain the population in a case where something catastrophic might hinder imports from the United States. He pledged to do everything in his power to encourage and assist the farmers to continue their work. He congratulated all the farmers whose vegetable plots were visited and hoped that word of their farms would be spread around the island.

Mr. Albert Hughes said the various cultivated plots demonstrated that Anguilla could produce food crops like anywhere else. He commended the farmers for a marvellous job and joined in promising that the Government would give them as much help as possible. He suggested that agriculture should be taken to another level to produce sweet potatoes, yams and other food staples in greater abundance. “I encourage all of you to continue to fork up the land,” he said, using his notable phrase.

Produce from Rainbow’s Farm at South Hill

Speaking on behalf of the Farmers’ Association, President Elvet Hughes repeated the text of a signed petition sent to Government last month. He said that over the past five years the ability to produce considerable quantities of vegetables was demonstrated through the use of traditional and modern methods. He stated that despite this, a large amount of scarce foreign exchange was being spent on importing products which could be grown locally. As a consequence of the absence of the coordination of the marketing of produce, farmers were experiencing huge losses annually.

“We are calling on the Government to take the lead in facilitating the marketing of agricultural produce as is the practice in some neighbouring islands,” he went on. “In order to initiate this process we strongly recommend the immediate appointment of Marketing Officer in the Department of Agriculture.”

Rhona Richardson-Roydon, Gina Brooks and Stanley Reid

Mr. Hughes said that the farmers who signed the petition were convinced that such an officer would be able to organise and mobilise farmers in all communities; coordinate planting and harvesting of produce, quantities, use of appropriate technology etc; provide guidelines on standards and advise on marketing strategies; implement price control and fair trading measures; centralise or broker harvest and yields; and liaise among the Department and Ministry of Agriculture and farmers and consumers.

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