Premier Wheatley proposes agriculture drive where all citizens plant a tree
The Premier was at the time speaking during ‘Let’s Chew on the Issue’, a panel discussion with other VIP 2023 elections candidates and live-streamed on Thursday afternoon, April 6, 2023.
“Let's take something like orchards, right? We don't have big acres and acres of land to put orchards, but everybody could put a fruit tree in their backyard and we can buy”.
The Premier share an example of a friend with a fruit tree in their yard, where the in-demand fruit was rotting on the ground.
“I went up by a gentleman, a good friend of mine, and he has a huge avocado tree in his yard, and I literally saw like dozens of avocados rotting on the ground and the tree had hundreds of avocados.
Generating income from agriculture - Premier
“I said, I wonder If this man understands how much avocado costs in the supermarket, I wonder if this man understands on this tree, just right now you have thousands of dollars,” he added.
Dr Wheatley said if everyone in the VI plants an avocado tree and given how popular avocados are in the world, it could generate a lot of income.
The premier added that if avocados were locally produced, it could mean millions of dollars being pumped into the VI's economy.
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34 Responses to “Premier Wheatley proposes agriculture drive where all citizens plant a tree”
99.9% of our food daily consumption in the BVI has been imported, and continuing for the foreseeable future, facts.
The people at Paraquita bay still waiting for water.
You have given millions of dollars to farmers and fishermen, did the farmers not plant anything?
By Tafari Zharr
What’s better than buying a plant and sticking it near a window? Besides Singleminded -Nothingness! Growing better together.
Planting roots is conducive to living green beyond planting a tree. Planting roots is an extension of life. Plants like humans and other creatures need to be nurtured and fed and protected. We all need sun water and food and the abundance of which prevents us from being vultures or cannibals. The good thing about some species we can channel each other to occupy the space called habitation.
The VI can be a tourists vacay but it’s our habitat. Everyone caring about Planting is good. I think this is one area where we can seize good stewardship for finding common ground to merge foreigners and expats with natives towards finding solutions and a path forward as stakeholders to grow a staple economy.
Togetherness, is how we rebuild and repurpose our infrastructure, rebrand our reputation, uplift the spirits of our “spiritual”local norms, and bring community back to unique experience.
Community farming and Gardening Requires Shared Reciprocity between residents and good stewards. Farming herbs and spices, what ever we can produce for farmers market. Becoming a plant based society is doing something else to sustain a healthier lifestyle. Cleaning up the environment and aggressively addressing pollutants and other dangers that hinder good food production is equally important. Of course, people need clean quality air and water - equally critical for best outcomes at preventing diseases, cancer, and other environmental causes health concerns.
On the other hand, when I think about citizens planting a tree the first thing that comes to mine is everyone not a citizen, all citizens don’t have access to land to plant anything.
I don’t think that we’re trying to reconcile plant life with people; as the plants we’d be interesting in growing will be herbs and staple vegetables that can thrive in our terrain.
Because we import so much of our food - we ought to be worried about the future of food insecurity for all residents of the Virgin Island.
Perhaps now is a good time to find a balance between expats and citizens everybody eats all the time. But with any food shortage some people won’t eat all the time.
Good stewardship might include a first step to secure lands for planting. Block parcels of land for kitchen gardens in each community near major streets would be another resource for community engagement where people from everywhere can take a stake in getting to know each other to come together for common good- our communities are too divided; how are we addressing the divisiveness? It starts with how we change how we don’t welcome others, even those we procreate with.
So, if we goin’ plant , leh we plant! - let’s dig deep into what where, why,, who, when and how much more we really will commit to cultivate for a happier, healthier Virgin islands. Living green beyond planting a tree is a good model for grow better together - just suggesting a small - consolation - a step towards acceptance!
Hmm we have to consider the Premier though afrocentric is not a farmer & some older politicians who are too old to take a fall in nature are content to say "back in my day we used to ....." bla bla.
Theirs was the generation that dropped the old ball for a new one. Instead of using the new technology & education to improve the old ways.
Think how easy life would have been if arawaks, caribs or newly emancipated people had half the tech & medicine we have.
We have all these laws now, yet there is probably not one law mandating planting of a tree. Period.
Look around at what already produces naturally, protect them, make use of it and multiply them. Ideally farming can be passive & productive. This goes for fish too.
Has government identified annual & natural opportunities at sea and provide education on access & preservation of the relatively free meals?
Are there any edible sea plants & opportunities to farm them passively?
When the fry come in massive numbers yearly & the pelicans feast have we considered encouraging participation in the feast? Iv heard older folk used to eat the fry at certain times battered & fried or in a patty. People in Alaska as seen on tv hunt, fish & store it up out of necessity.
Has government taught the people how to fish or given them lines & nets? Does every household have a net?
I feel entitled to asking all these questions because not only does government pays for consultants our lives at stake in every single theoretical emergency where food cant come in... It could be the next pandemic.
We need leaders who will be curious about our physical survival as if there's a random deadline & not acting nobles who have their priorities mixed up.
In a real emergency there should be tools, processes and space if needed to allow people to 'work' together voluntarily for the benefit of the community.
No one wants there to be cries to send us aid or we'll starve if government doesn't strive to find a solution while its not a problem. Rather than government ministers traveling to Europe and America go to the tropics around the world and come back with ideas na.
Legalized cannabis will lead to more interest & participation in farming naturally.
Nowadays the fruits and vegetables that are imported, they only last for couple days before they start to rotten. We need to try and plant some of those stuff here instead of importing
We can do it
IT WOU BE BETTER IF WE ANDREW CAME IP WITH A BRILLIANT IDEA , THE WEED WAS A BETTER WAY TO PROMOTE OUR COUNTRY , WE CAN SMOKE I , WE CAN EAT IT , WEAR IT ETC , AND ALL OF SAT DOWN AND AGREED TO IT , AND WANTED TO GO TO WAR AGAINST THE WHITE BOYZ WHO THEY SAY WAS TRYING TO TAKE OVER OUR AND BRING US BACK INTO SLAVERY WITH A WHOLE SET RACIALLY MOTIVATED LYRICS
No water available ,not even to take a bath.
Piss will kill the tree.
How come he saying plant an Avacado tree now when he has already laid out his plan to make millions from his legal ganga farms. He should be encouraging us to cultivate the Sensimania, for the BUDS.
AND THE OTHERS FOR POULTRY FARMING?
well come up on my Marriquana Cultivation field an give me my worth. 666 large producing plants ,and 1000 young sprouting , plus 186 seeds just sewn with the last moon. Just need lil more help with watering,so bring your truck. Lenten season hot and hard.