Thanks for the e-mail; I’ll definitely be at the next one.

My input on the whole issue of young people getting into agriculture...since I missed my chance earlier...

To speak bluntly ...I think that the average young person who says they are interested in agriculture is mostly naively spotting hot air and the govt. should not waste too much financial resources doing anything other than educating them.

My monologue below...

The barrier to our young people is not that they lack the resources; it is that they lack the will, are young, inexperienced, unmotivated, and mostly lazy and want to get rich from agriculture. None of which works.

Every family in the Bahamas has a piece of land that can grow something. A father, mother, uncle, aunt, sister, brother, second cousin, or friend.....Nassau or the out islands, ask around and someone has something. Maybe you can't get there every day, or can't do it all, but people have forgotten how to work part time and work together. Somewhere there is agricultural land, prepared or not that someone with the will would be able to access and do something on. For a young person, this should not be a barrier. It should be as simple as asking grandma or uncle if you can help out, or work some of their land. Maybe not 10,000 acres of deep rich soil. Maybe it is just a lot on 8th terrace that someone can have a split arrangement with the land owner to do their drip irrigation potted coco plum inventory for a onetime cash crop.... Somewhere, somehow, everyone that really cares to be involved in growing things should be able to adjust and find a spot to grow something.

Everything you need to know about anything is on the internet, or at your offices, or in the minds and memmories of the old people. Everything.

To tend grandma's yard for her just requires some patience, spirit, time and sweat. And all of those things are available to the young person if they have the will.

but to regress, we all know that farming does not make many people rich, unless you are secretive and extremely skillful at avoiding competition from entering the market and squeezing out your profits, or if you are growing marijuana on the side, which of course is illegal. And of course to get rich in agriculture, you have to be lucky, extremely determined, business oriented, marketing oriented, motivated and diligent, never accept failure, be prepared to suffer the remoteness of out island life (not that out island life does not have its benefits), .etc and have your own capital. Our young people (in general) do not have these skills, they are not graduating with these skills, and barely possess the resources or motivation or support to achieve lift off. And we don't have abundant land at least that is not a part of some long waiting line. In any case, most agricultural ventures here last 3-5 years and are bankrupt. Whoever decides to go into agriculture, comes up with a business plan, gets a grant from the Govt. or private sector, and is likely to fail anyway, even if they are mature, seasoned farmers. This is reality, and the history of our country, time and time again.

No young person aspires to the position of farm laborer, (which is not a dishonorable thing, if done honorably.) But try to compare a Haitian farm laborer with a Bahamian farm laborer, and it is night and day, honorable vs. disgraceful display of laziness, a full day’s work from the Haitian vs. negative work, trouble, issues, theft, unionization and resentment from the Bahamian, if you can find a Bahamian that wants to work on a farm for minimum wage, and that you can trust to set their eyes on your produce and not expect a nigh raid later in the evening, please let me know. We are talking motivation versus slow motion. Why? I don't know, but that is the fact. Bahamians don't want to be farm laborers, they see it as shameful, hard work and they resent the history there, understandably. So part of the challenge is convincing young people of the honor of working a farm, the pride, the accomplishment and the benefit to the country - patriotism.

So if we are talking about young people in agriculture, we must be talking about wanting young people to aspire to be land owners, business owners, entrepreneurs, merchants, organizers, etc. But this leaves us at the question of where is the laborer? Are we going to facilitate bringing in Cubans or Haitians? And how many new businesses and how many new crown grants (of land that needs to be made arable, we don't live in Oklahoma) are there really going to be for the skill less, unmotivated young person. Not nearly enough to entice them into an immediate, full time career in agriculture. As a farmer myself, I would love to hire a bunch of young people to be involved on the farm, but even at minimum wage, I would have trouble meeting costs and in any case, I don't think any of them want to be farm laborers, we are talking ownership and making a good life for them in agriculture. I as a farmer would be perpetually plagued by people I train and educate, leaving to take higher wages elsewhere and probably not in agriculture. If I pay them higher wages, I make nothing.

Most of the "successful" farmers here in the Bahamas mask their negative bottom lines with periodic injections of capital from their separate working lives. A lawyer or banker or ex stock broker who year after year refreshes his passion project with new capital, so he can keep doing what he likes.

Yes, agriculture produces produce, but the cost, most of the time is many multiples of the actual revenue benefit. The real benefit is, as mentioned by my father, the economic impact of dollars kept at home. Wages paid, materials bought, produce sold all bounce around the economy and have a multiplier effect on our GDP, national tax collection, etc. This is great, but this is a national duty, rather than a get rich plan.

Do I think young people have a future in agriculture?

Surprisingly, the answer is - Yes, but not outright-all-in agriculture and the focus of agriculture has to change. It has to change from "get rich" to making a living and creating something that benefits The Bahamas in terms of bio security and to keep dollars circulating in our economy at home. And to this end, the young person should be encouraged first to be a part time farmer. They should seek employment where possible but this will be limited unless they are willing to first work field jobs, give hard work and take low pay. But those who have a passion for it and are not only hot-air-govt.-agro welfare cases should endeavor to get interested in existing projects, or existing operations. Early to bed early to rise and help their grandparents manage their plots, (maybe they will prove themselves worthy of an inheritance), manage their family orchards, spend the summer in the out islands, or visiting farms, learning how to be content with island life, and learning the cycle of agriculture, the seasons. Watch, tour, learn, participate, help, read, save money and capital and develop themselves and their plans, as they make their living in other multiple ways. Those who have access to land need to take the time and plant a seed, watch it grow, learn about its life cycle and study it back to front. Learn to love it, respect the craft, develop a passion for it, a drive to make things work, and then think about what they can do with their skills, networks and connections.

Every young person that approaches you, or that you approach and has interest in agriculture should be encouraged to identify resources within their grasp that can get them exposure. We should focus on encouraging self help and resourcefulness, not agro-welfare. Tell them to go tend Grandma's yard, use the resources currently at hand and go out and learn. In china, they have intensive plots that can sustain a family! Let the young person get to know what it means to be involved in small things like this, instead of demanding a govt. given future.

If they still like agriculture after tending grandma's yard for a year...after they are used to hard work for nothing but the intrinsic pleasure and modest results, then maybe,....maybe they will be worthy enough to capture the attention of someone willing to put in the investment in them, be it granny or government or private sector.

You keep up the good work doing your education forums, help with resources, keep up hope, and focus on promoting self help and resourcefulness in our young people.


All the best

George Maillis (September 2, 2009)