St. Maarten looking to lease land
abroad for sustainable agriculture
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten is currently engaged in discussions to lease parcels of land in other countries to develop sustainable agriculture and import the products grown to St. Maarten.
Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley alluded to the plan while responding to a question during the live Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday. The question related to the spiralling food prices and price control.
“One of the approaches that we did take is to extend the food basket from 12 to 72 items. However, we know there is much more than 72 items, but what we do need to realise as well is that we are a country that depends on the importation of everything and, with all due fairness and the reality of the world, everything has gone up.
“Costs around the world, shipping has gone up, gasoline has gone up, so that is why from the VSA [Public Health, Social Development and Labour – Ed.] … and the government's perspective it is very important for us to raise the minimum wage – increase the purchasing power of our population. That is a plan that is definitely coming full steam ahead,” Ottley said.
“As well as we are having discussions – the Prime Minister and I – where the Prime Minister is having discussions, whether it’s with Suriname and other different countries, I think we mentioned this before, to see if we can lease parcels of land where we can then do or own agricultural sustainability programmes and then hopefully import our own food slowly, but surely, but that is the plan.
“We are having those discussions right now, but the reality is we depend on importation of everything and prices have gone up tremendously around the world. It is kind of almost ridiculous.”
