BVI should produce staple crops, says CTL Managing Director

Managing Director of Clarence Thomas Limited (CTL), Michael Thomas, has called on the government to support local food production by investing in greenhouse farming for staple crops.

In a recent interview on ZBVI radio, Thomas said the BVI should rely less on the United States for food imports and start producing more items locally. He said the impact of new US tariffs and the lessons from recent disasters like Hurricane Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic show that the territory needs to be more self-reliant.

“What I would suggest also to, you know, Honourable [Omar] Hodge… I think he had the right idea with the greenhouses of Paraquita Bay. But I think we need to start producing some staple crops in the islands, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, you know, find 10 or 15 crops that we can produce in a greenhouse setting and produce as much as you possibly can here locally,” Thomas stated.

He encouraged the government to create jobs for locals by growing crops at home and putting the produce back into the marketplace. Thomas said this move would help reduce the territory’s dependence on imports, especially during emergencies.

“If Hurricane Maria and the pandemic taught us nothing, it’s that we’re kind of like on our own out here. America will protect America and they have every right to do so, as we should be protecting ourselves on this level,” he asserted.

Thomas also spoke about a failed shipment of face masks during the pandemic. “I had about $30,000 in face masks ordered… and they cancelled every order and wouldn’t ship anything out of the US,” he explained.