Opinion: Support for Agriculture

Self sufficiency might be an impossible goal for Cayman Brac, but with rising fuel cost forever pushing up the price of cargo, any step towards increasing home grown foodstuff is a step in the right direction. The efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to assist the farmers on Cayman Brac might not appear hugely significant to the majority of the population, but the guidance towards some measure of self-reliance is admirable. The two latest projects – a water tank fed by a solar powered pump, and a seedling propagation facility – edge the Brac away from its total dependence on outside help, and demonstrate how alternative energy can be easily and cheaply incorporated into traditional farming. Teachers who head up the Agriculture Club at the Brac High School are quick to praise Chief Agriculture and Veterinary Officer Dr Alfred Benjamin and his staff for their constant support for all their agricultural projects. While the department has offered the high school encouragement in the development of new and innovative methods of farming, such as hydroponics and aquaculture, it has also been providing help in simple grow-box projects in the primary schools. Whether they are supporting working farmers by solving basic problems, or working with teachers to encourage young minds to develop new ideas and new ways of food production, the DoA is adding buffers to the vulnerabilities of a small island. The future is unpredictable and we had better prepare for all eventualities of a changing world. One day we may have reason to be grateful for the foresight of our Agriculture Department.