Staff Writer
Minister of Agriculture The Hon. Eugene Hamilton has praised local farmers for producing high quality produce and for using a minimum amount of pesticides in their production.
Mr. Hamilton gave the 2015 produce a 98 percent grade, adding that he does not possess 2016 statistics. He told The Observer that based on lab tests the locally produced agricultual procts are of the highest standards and quality.
He also said because of the high grade that he can now certify that farmers are using the proper techniques in doing their work. The Minister added that the quality of produce used by hotel chains in the Federation are also of high qualify and that the produce sold in markets is also of top caliber.
He gave credit to the Taiwanese for their assistance, stating with their help ‘We were able to have a lab where we can test the quality of the soil and on the Ministry’s farm.’
For years, citizens have complained about the quality of produce found on the shelves of supermarkets and sold from street stalls. Complaints were also registered by hotel managers about the quality of locally grown produce. Some hotel managers even refused to buy produce from farmers in the Federation. The former government was pressured to pass stricter laws that would mandate hotels to purchase more produce grown by local farmers.
The government has approached the problem by working with farmers to upgrade their soil conditions and their produce.
The Hotel and Tourism Assn. got into the act by calling for Federation farmers to clean their produce before selling it to the local hotels for consumption by their guests.
