cash crop

Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management, Dr. David Estwick says his Ministry is committed to the development of an integrated cassava industry.  

 

The assurance came yesterday morning as he delivered an address at the launch of the Cassava Blended Bread by Purity Bakeries at Sky Mall, as he said that given the land size of Barbados, if the sector is to be successful, it necessitates the creation of an integrated industry approach. This is an approach that can be employed across the agricultural sector, he said.

 

“We have to take it from the primary product and carry it through to the value added products in all the ways that we can. This is one of the reasons why we in a lot of ways have challenges with the cotton industry in Barbados. 

 

“We have been talking about integrated cotton for about as long as I remember…and it has not moved; we are still at primary products. We’ve had one good successful industry which has been the sugar industry. We took it from growing the raw sugar canes and then we processed it into all of its value added [products] – being sugar, being molasses, being rum, etc. That is the strategy that we are going to be pushing forward with,” he said.

 

With that in mind, he said his Ministry is looking at validating new and improved varieties of cassava for both the fresh and processing markets. Additionally, he said that through their collaborating agencies, extension staff, members of the farming community and other stakeholders will continue to benefit from ongoing training in planting and post-harvest handling of cassava; farmers to market linkages through contract farming; and cassava processing for the development of regional best practice guidelines for improved food safety and handling.

 

“The cassava industry in Barbados is being heralded as a success story throughout the region and today’s launch of Purity’s Cassava Blended Bread not only highlights the significance of communicating, cooperating and forging linkages within the agricultural sector, but it underscores the importance of the value added approach as a means of driving the economy and a viable tool in providing employment for the citizens of Barbados,” he stated.

 

He made the point as he suggested that this and other initiatives within the cassava industry could assist in reducing the high food import bill which is placing enormous pressure on the country’s foreign reserves; promote healthier food choices which could help reduce the incidence of non communicable diseases.

 

Minister Estwick, a trained physician, noted that there is a large body of research which clearly links high levels of gluten to a number of serious diseases affecting humans. He said the evidence is overwhelming that high levels of gluten result in high and sustained elevations of blood sugar, affects the gut and have also been identified as a trigger for a number of allergies.

 

The Agriculture Minister also noted that the initiative has the potential to spur growth in agri-business. While lauding Purity’s efforts, he issued a call for other bakeries to come on board and “like a good cassava bread warmly rise to the occasion”. (JRT)