By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian agricultural entrepreneur yesterday branded the Government's move to expand food imports from the Dominican Republic as "a slap in the face to our farmers".

Caron Shepherd, the Bahamas Agro Entrepreneurs Group’s president, told Tribune Business it was "heart-breaking" to the industry and especially veteran farmers after it emerged that Bahamian regulators have approved six agricultural products - bitter orange, pineapple, lime, avocado, banana, and plantain - for importation from the Dominican Republic.

Challenging why The Bahamas is spending money that could be invested in increasing production from its own farmers on expanding food imports instead, she argued that the move contradicts the Government's stated policy goals of greater domestic output and enhanced food security - particularly since most of those six targeted products can be grown here.

Ms Shepherd described the strategy as "unacceptable", "despicable" and "deplorable", with media reports from the Dominican Republic signalling that it is trying to secure Bahamian market access for another 80 food products including fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, seafood and processed goods.

Jomo Campbell, minister of agriculture and fisheries, yesterday described the Dominican Republic announcement as "premature" as The Bahamas has yet to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to give effect to the deal. He added that the tie-up is not official and could still be revoked.

However, Senator Barry Griffin, the Bahamas Trade Commission's chairman, in confirming that the food import tie-up with the Dominican Republic is part of the Government's strategy to reduce the cost of living and diversify market sources, said it was also sensitive to "protecting and empowering Bahamian farmers".

"That's definitely part of our trade diversification programme, and the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) has been working behind the scenes with the Dominican Republic authorities for quite some time now. There were some early issues, but the kinks have been worked out and this is something we are definitely targeting," Mr Griffin told Tribune Business.

"The importation of additional Dominican agricultural products, following the earlier approval for eggs, is indeed part of the Government’s broader trade diversification strategy and our efforts to reduce the cost of living in The Bahamas. These initiatives are aligned with our objective to increase access to high quality, competitively priced food products for Bahamian consumers.

"The recent approval for six new Dominican agricultural exports: Bitter orange, pineapple, lime, avocado, banana and plantain, was facilitated through close collaboration between the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) and the Dominican authorities," he added.

"It marks a tangible step in diversifying our sources of imports, while also strengthening food security and reducing vulnerabilities caused by over-dependence on a narrow group of trading partners. The potential for expanding import ties with the Dominican Republic is significant."

Mr Griffin said talks on the other 80 products are at an early stage. "Ongoing talks concerning the possible approval of over 80 additional food products, including fresh produce, meats, dairy, seafood and processed goods, reflect strong commercial interest and regional co-operation," he added.

"These discussions are still preliminary and will be subject to rigorous sanitary and phytosanitary assessments before any approvals are granted." However, the Bahamas Trade Commission chairman asserted that the interests of Bahamian farmers are not being ignored or overlooked by the Davis administration.

"At the same time, we remain firmly committed to protecting and empowering Bahamian farmers. Every trade engagement of this nature is carefully reviewed to ensure it does not crowd out local production," he explained.

"The goal is to strike the right balance, meeting the country’s food needs, improving affordability and stimulating domestic agriculture through enhanced competitiveness, targeted support and policy co-ordination.

"Dominican imports, therefore, are not a replacement for Bahamian produce, but rather a supplement to help fill gaps and stabilise prices where local supply is insufficient. We will continue to pursue strategic trade arrangements that align with our national development goals, while safeguarding the interests of Bahamian producers and consumers alike," Mr Griffin said.

"The Bahamas Trade Commission is setting the policy and leading in bringing together strategic partners to make these goals a reality. In particular, as it relates to agricultural products from the Dominican Republic, Jomo Campbell's leadership within the Ministry of Agriculture and BAHFSA’s technical assistance have been most instrumental in pushing all of this forward."

Ms Shepherd, though, was not so convinced. "The Government is making a very hypocritical move here," she blasted. "They say they are for the people, but they ain't for the farmers. They indicated they wanted to empower the people, but they are selling our farmers out.

"The funds they are using to purchase all these foods from the Dominican Republic could be invested in the farmers here for the farmers to produce these items. We have the same climate. Why can't we be producing here? They're investing our money in other countries, not their own people.

"We produce lemons, limes, pineapples and grapefruits all the time. Why can't they invest in farmers in The Bahamas who already have the know-how and knowledge in producing these crops? This is very hypocritical of the Government. The farmers need the opportunity to be able to produce, and they're not providing the farmers with the opportunity."

A common concern has been that Bahamian farmers lack the critical mass and scale, and suffer from other disadvantages that leave them unable to produce the required quality and supply volumes on a consistent basis. However, this is countered by the argument that they will never be able to do so unless given the chance.

Arguing that The Bahamas should instead invest in rebuilding Family Island agriculture and production, Ms Shepherd told this newspaper: "They are taking money from The Bahamas and spending it in the Dominican Republic rather then spending it in The Bahamas with people who are your greatest assets.

"That is very, very hypocritical and a slap in the face. That's a slap in the face to the farmers, a slap in the face to your agricultural sector and a slap in the face to the Bahamian people. We, as the Bahamian people, should not allow the Government to sell us out. That's practically what they are doing. Why not invest in our most valuable assets, our people?

"That's despicable, that's deplorable. That's the lowest of the low for our agricultural sector," she added. "It's very disappointing, it's very heart-breaking because I know we have hundreds of farmers out there doing their best to produce crops and nutritious foods as much as possible. That's not acceptable, not acceptable. Not one bit

"Abaco used to produce limes, lemons and grapefruit for export. Why can't we revive that industry? Eleuthera produces pineapples. Why can't we reinvest or improve pineapple development? We have the land to do it. This is deplorable and very hypocritical."

The six-product import deal was announced by the Dominican Republic's embassy in Jamaica, which also covers The Bahamas. It was said to have taken two years to negotiate via "joint sanitary inspections, regulatory alignment and diplomatic co-ordination"

"This development builds on the recent launch of Dominican egg exports to The Bahamas and forms part of a broader strategy to position the Dominican Republic as a competitive and reliable supplier in the Caribbean," Dominican Republic media reported.

"The embassy is also working on gaining approval for over 80 more Dominican products, including fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, seafood and processed goods. The Bahamas, with a high demand for food imports and a growing tourism industry, is seen as a key market."