SOME IDEAS FOR FIGHTING SPIRALLING FOOD COSTS
by Dr. Reginald Buckmire
With the increasing growth in the cost of living & high food prices, and with no respite in the near future, the following are some simple steps that we can take to address those problems or opportunities(depending on who is looking at them):-
1) School Gardens.
Establish School Gardens in every school where there is suitable land;
where there is no suitable land, set up a small scale greenhouse or
a small-scale hydroponic gardening system. There are people around who
can help to establish same.
2) Home /Household Gardens
Get the GIS / Ms.Sherma Wells to motivate every Household (similar to
what was done with the adoption of our national flags around
Independence Day) to grow some of their household needs such as
Seasonings & lettuce & Tomato in Flower pots. This should
directly be linked to composting and separation of household wastes.
3) A Garden Center in Every Supermarket
Encourage all supermarkets to set up a small-scale Garden Center
supplying flower pots, potting mixes, small-scale composting tubs,
live seedlings, hand tools,etc. for both home gardens/ household
gardens and backyard gardens.
4) A Buy Local Campaign
Encourage every one to join in a "Buy Local" Campaign where permission
can be sought from the Governor General to link this campaign with our
national symbols. The various supermarkets and other private sector
retail outlets could be motivated to get on the Band wagon. This would
mean setting up a Buy Local section for fruits vegetables,etc.; by
adding value to our mangoes, our sapodillas, etc. shined and polished
just like apples and grapes from America but at reasonable prices.
5) RTE Foods & RTB Drinks
Develop and nicely package de-skinned Bananas, Bluggoes, Dasheen,
Tannias, Yams etc., frozen and ready to cook such as is seen in the
Miami, USA Supermarkets for cassava and plantains shipped from
central America . These Ready To Eat (RTE) local products can be used
to replace the carbohydrates from rice and dumplings. Similarly we
must develop instant Cocoa Tea balls (the size of Bullions which are
used in soups). Currently a similar product is produced in Jamaica.
6) A Ripe Banana-a-Day in Schools.
Every school in their school feeding program to provide
pre-schoolers and others with a fine ripened banana each by setting
up ripening boxes similar to banana ripening rooms, but much smaller,
after triggering the “Climacteric”as is done by the Marketing Board.
7) Partial Replacement of Wheat With solar-dried banana, or cassava or dasheen chips.
Up to 10% of hard red winter wheat could be replaced in wheat flour
with Gluten and solar dried and ground cassava, banana, dasheen and
similarly locally produced foods.This would have to be negotiated with
the flour mill.
8) Change the MNIB from an Importing Board to a Marketing Board
The mandate of the MNIB should be changed to include the practice of
buying all First and Second Class quality fruits and vegetables
grown in Grenada according to their specifications at guaranteed
prices .The MNIB should then work out contracts with organized groups
such as GUT, TAWU, Credit Unions, and other organized groups to supply
them with various high quality local items on a timely basis --- once
or twice per week. In addition, MNIB should also be the procurer of
items in bulk for these groups besides it standard clientele.
The MNIB should also negotiate with Huggins Shipping and other
agents for tourist ships to become the Ship chandler and supplier of
their needs when visiting Grenada. In that way, MNIB can facilitate
the production necessary to make local products available to consumers
at lower prices.
9) Fluid Milk Production. –Goat Milk
A survey should be done on how many milking goats are available in
Grenada and, based on the results, a plan of action should be drawn
up to have one-in-every two families in Grenada to get into the rearing
of goats for their milk supply. Goat milk is a preferred milk; and as
the population increases, we can go into goat cheese making. The
technology is available in Grenada.
10) The New Grenville Abattoir and Fish Sillage
It is being suggested the wastes from the fish market should be
stabilized and converted to fish sillage to be sold to pig farmers.
At the same time, the waste from the new abbatoir to be built at
Mirabeau, when operating, should be used to generate bio-gas, as is
now being done in a big way in mainland China. The Government of
Grenada should therefore request Technical Assistance from China to
duplicate what is done in “X hang zy”( or a similar sounding name) in
China.
These are but a few of the steps to start us on the way to addressing the high food costs.
Dr. E.Reginald Buckmire
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