It's back to basics with food

THE EDITOR: We are in deep turmoil and we are seeing no light yet at the end of the tunnel, because what we expected in oil revenue to sustain our imports has failed us.

As a result, the Government has embarked on a food production policy by granting lands and subsidies to jump-start farmers, youths and others who are interested in agro-farming in an attempt to avoid food depletion and return the country to growing its own food.

This is a splendid idea which was long overdue but in the past everything was ripe and rosy and there was no expectation that one day there would be a food shortage.

Nevertheless, we can also buy food from our neighbours in Latin America at a much lower cost. There will be no need to buy provisions from Africa. Ecuador has provisions in abundance, Chile has wine, apples and grapes, Argentina has meat, pork and milk products, all via the Panama Canal.

We should gradually reduce imports from the UK, Canada and the US, and align ourselves with our neighbours in Latin America.

In addition, we should invest extensively in our land, which was once a leader in food production We had surplus rice; sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, yam, cassava and peas were readily available, but we opted for “black gold.”

It took the covid19 pandemic to wake us up, and it is certainly never too late to go back into basic food production when there is land, manpower and resources to accomplish it.

JAY RAKHAR

New York