Longstanding farmer Patrick Bethell has come under some public criticism in recent days because of his reported decision to plough his cassava crop back into the soil. Those oppose to his action cite the fact that to destroy food in the prevailing times of economic hardship represents an insensitivity on the part of Mr. Bethell. We have not heard the farmer’s side of this story but we know is that this is a man whose love for agriculture CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be questioned. From this distance the BU family has concluded that Mr. Bethell’s action clearly represents a frustration which is felt by other farmers in Barbados.
We understand that Mr. Bethell has been a farmer for nigh on 40 years. In our books that makes him exempt from the vitriolic episodes which have been allowed to entertained on our national airwaves.
It is easy for the majority of Barbadians who look down their noses at the farming community to spout hot air. We encourage Barbadians to try to focus dispassionately on the solutions which are required by the agricultural sector for sometime now. The government cannot be serious about promoting a strategy of food security and we have the problem of praedial larceny allowed to run unchecked. Barbados is a small place and the inability to crackdown on this problem over the years represent a lack of will on the part of the stakeholders. It makes us question who might be the players supporting this illegal activity. The quantities of produce which has been reported to be stolen over the years leads the BU family to conclude that some significant players maybe involved. Remember that if a buyer of a commodity has knowledge that it maybe stolen they are are complicit in the crime.
We disagree though with the call by Mr. Bethell that the police should do more. While policing is an important strategy to try to curb praedial larceny it is not the sustainable approach. The Prime Minister announced in his first budget that, or was it on another occasion, the government would provide an open space for farmers to sell produce. We believe that by bringing people in a central market to sell produce, maybe on weekends, it would provide the opportunity to quietly investigate the scourge of praedial larceny. If the government is serious about reviving the farming industry given its commitment to transforming the negative culture, the government needs to act NOW. We say now because if we are to judge by Mr. Bethell’s recent action, we may have arrived at the tipping point represented by a long time committed agriculturalist threatening to leave the profession.
We have supported Minister of Agriculture Haynesley Benn in previous blogs and we continue do so, we hope he does not disappoint us.
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