The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) stands as one of the biggest supporters of the Bahamian farmer, a senior executive of the Institute said, challenging claims the agency is in direct competition with the local farming community, many of who already feel that there is a general lack of support for the sector.

 “We are here to support our farmers. We are not here to compete with them because for too long farmers have said nobody is checking for them. And they have issues, they have problems, so it’s important that we have a system that allows us to facilitate their needs as best as we can,” Dr Raveenia Roberts-Hanna said during her address to the 2019 Andros Business Outlook, held at Island Comfort Resort, North Andros.

The executive director was also able to shine a light on the wealth of initiatives the Institute brings to the national table. She focused on the tertiary level academic programmes that are in place to ensure future Bahamian farmers have both a theoretical and practical grounding in agriculture, with an emphasis on best practices.

Dr Roberts-Hanna further noted that even if an aspiring student was in the midst of a financial crisis, it would not negate their chances of being admitted into BAMSI, as full and partial scholarships are available. She was also pleased to highlight that upon completion of their studies, graduates are less likely to succumb to unemployment, as their attendance at the Institute provides them with a number of job opportunities. “I got job offers for twelve. They want twelve BAMSI students. Solomon’s wants a produce manager, and they’ve earmarked that just for a BAMSI student. Enviroscape just last week wanted eight students as managers. They know that when they come to BAMSI, they get that hands-on practical experience and exposure.”    

Joining Dr Roberts-Hanna at the Business Outlook, which was held under the theme ‘Connecting Resources, Maximizing Opportunities and Transforming Andros’, was Michael Scott, Chairman of the Hotel Corporation and Brian Hew, owner of Kamalame Cay. Also representing BAMSI was Rev Marina Newton, Programme Coordinator for the Institute’s Associated Farmers Programme.

Dr. Roberts-Hanna used the opportunity of the Business Outlook to highlight why BAMSI was founded, and why that reason – to help build a food secure nation, to advance the level of education and training amongst industry participants and stakeholders, and to implement sustainable measures that support the overall health of the environment, industry, economy and most importantly, of the citizenry - is still relevant considering the current state of food security in the Bahamas.

It is because of this nation’s current reality, and even certain global actualities, such as worldwide some 800 million people are malnourished, and that the Bahamas imports approximately one billion dollars’ worth of food, that BAMSI continues to develop in this capacity, she noted.

Part of the Institute’s response to these circumstances is its academic offerings. The school currently offers five associate degree programmes – Agriculture, Marine Science, Aquaculture, Environmental Science and Agribusiness. And five new degree programmes are expected to be added for the upcoming Fall term.

She also shared ideas that would have the capability of shifting BAMSI from a standard academic environment to a home away from home for students. These ideas ranged from a fleet of bicycles for students to use to navigate all that is North Andros to an ice-cream parlor that could serve as a gathering place for young minds. Both of which will help in creating an overall comfortable atmosphere.     

She also highlighted ways BAMSI contributes to the community at large, pointing to one of the Institute’s more notable forms of outreach, its ‘Give Back’ Initiative.  The purpose of this initiative is to provide assistance to the most vulnerable in the community by partnering with various schools, churches and organizations, such as the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, The Bahamas Feeding Network, Unity House and the Children’s Emergency Hostel.