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'NDP has killed off agriculture' - Edmund G. Maduro

- said commercial fishing sector on life support
Controversial television talk show host Edmund G. Maduro (above) has blasted the National Democratic Party (NDP) for neglecting agriculture in the territory, including allowing the greenhouses (below) at Paraquita Bay to remain under-utilised. Photo: VINO/File
Mr Edmund G. Maduro has lamented that soon commercial fishing will be gone, leaving only sport fishing that tourists engage in. Photo: VINO/File
Mr Edmund G. Maduro has lamented that soon commercial fishing will be gone, leaving only sport fishing that tourists engage in. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Controversial television talk show host Edmund G. Maduro has declared that the National Democratic Party (NDP) government has killed off agriculture in the territory and that soon commercial fishing will also be gone, leaving only sport fishing that tourists engage in.

He was speaking to our newsroom on Saturday June 11, 2016 while lamenting on the state of agriculture and commercial fishing in the Virgin Islands.

According to Mr Maduro, the government ministers are only concerned with their "rich white friends," adding that this does not mean he is a racist.

“You notice that agriculture is dead?” he asked, noting that one of the most progressive ideas that came from the government on agriculture is that of the greenhouses. However, he lamented that those facilities never got off the ground in the way they were meant.

“We could have been exporting thousands of dollars worth of food to the United States but they are only interested in being among their rich white friends,” he said.

“I am not a racist [for saying that]. I would punish a black man just as how I would punish a white man,” he said.

Maduro noted that both Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering are medical doctors who ought to appreciate the importance of good food to a nation's health and wellness.

He said that with a disappearing agriculture industry, it opens up the territory to food which may have questionable health value.

This news site observed the scant participation of last year's Farmers' Week, a clear signal that the agricultural sector had been on the decline. The 2016 Farmers' Week activities were altogether cancelled and this spoke volumes as to the state of the sector.

According to officials of the Department of Agriculture, the participation in 2015 was at an all time low with just 20 participants compared to previous years when the numbers had been significantly higher. Officials disclosed to this news site had said then that it was a challenge to get the farmers to participate in the event.

The farmers had also accused the management of the Department of working over the heads of the farmers rather than side by side with them.

19 Responses to “'NDP has killed off agriculture' - Edmund G. Maduro”

  • Yea! (13/06/2016, 08:10) Like (26) Dislike (1) Reply
    Edmund, I don't always agree with you, but you making alot of sense here. All this toxic imported GMO foods will soon give us all cancer if we don't supplement our body with some good homegrown NON-GMO, NON-TOXIC foods from our grounds and sea. "Who don't learn will feel!" NDP has really been a BIG disappointment!
    • Vegan (13/06/2016, 21:42) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Turn vegan like I did. I grow my own organic vegetables, fruits and herbs in my beautiful back yard garden. Drink soy or almond milk. Eat lentil loaf instead of ground meat loaf.
  • wize up (13/06/2016, 08:11) Like (4) Dislike (15) Reply
    Good moring Mr Maduro: did you tell the people that National Democratic Party gave you the opperunity to run the Green Houses but to this day Mr Maduro you have done nothing.....mr maduro you had the golden opperunity to revive agriculture in this territory over 3 years ago but you did nothing: had you champion that cause to bring back local food production in BVI by now it would have been a sucess......
    • @wize up (13/06/2016, 09:13) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
      Get the facts!
      • wize up (13/06/2016, 10:36) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
        @ wize up: the man was given an agreement for those green houses( why dont you ask him why he was unable to move forward)....he was required to produce good standing certificates ....
    • Huh? (13/06/2016, 09:36) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
      Please learn to spell before you try to bash someone. The words are "opportunity-not opperunity", "campaign-not champion" and "success-not success"
    • VIlander (13/06/2016, 13:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      If you have it, Play the tape.
  • Well Sah (13/06/2016, 08:30) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    They have killed everything that they touched!
  • Music (13/06/2016, 09:09) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    It was dead long before NPD existed.
  • wow (13/06/2016, 09:11) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    Wasn't Edmund hired as a consultant to deal with such matters? What are/were the results? He seems to think you can just sit down and talk things and they will just happen. Why do we need Government to get involved in every single thing? Go out, partner with a big entity who can assist and then bring something to the table. We cannot expect Government to sink millions into initiatives for our benefit and we take zero risk but want all the reward. He was a farmer and as far as I'm aware he no longer is, why? That's NDP fault as well?
  • Xxx (13/06/2016, 09:20) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
    good message but wrong massager
  • Ya me born (13/06/2016, 09:25) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Export thausand of dollars worth of agricultural products to the US :He needs to be more specific about the type of agricultural goods he's talking about
  • Nez (13/06/2016, 09:36) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
    I am so disappointed with Agriculture. Something that should be booming for the people is just a memory of how it was. Government spends millions upon millions of dollars on projects, that are not bringing any stability to we the people. Farming is a necessity to our survival and it should continue with Agriculture week every year. We didn't need a hospital that big, or the outrages pier park project where millions were stolen and the list goes on and on. It is a down right disgrace that government finds money for everything except what it important to us for our survival. The 2 important things that have been swept under the rug is our children's education and agriculture. SHAME SHAME SHAME on you greedy outlandish leaders of our finances.
  • NDP supporter (13/06/2016, 11:57) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    oh well what's left or what's new
  • Gazatrain (13/06/2016, 15:37) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
    Yes the government has kill agriculture,but please if there is a older head out there that knows better pls come an look at how things are degrading in park we need help an we need a new chief for the department cause who is running it right now don't give a shit about it!!!
    • pat (13/06/2016, 23:01) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
      he is a doctor. He doesn't like to get his hands dirty. He would rather give away all the flat land to unsustainable projects that may only benefit a small sector of society. Agriculture should be the 3rd pillar of the economy.
  • wha yo expect? (13/06/2016, 15:55) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    The minister only interested in the airport.
  • Wendy (14/06/2016, 05:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Did the NDP make it


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