Bahamas Information Services Updates Could College of The Bahamas future growth expand to Andros?
By Gladstone Thurston
Dec 2, 2011 - 11:17:20 AM
Cabbages are beginning to pour into the government’s North Andros packing house. Pictured from right during Wednesday’s tour are BAIC agriculture manager Ayret Lightbourn, COB president Dr Betsy Vogel Boze, professor Daniel Thompson, OAS Bahamas representative Juliet E Mallet Phillip, administrator Maxine Duncombe, and chief councillor Vanda P Rahming. (BIS Photo/Gladstone Thurston)
Nicholl’s
Town, Andros - The College of The
Bahamas has North Andros in its sight.
College
president Dr Betsy Vogel Boze said North Andros could be the home of the
agriculture side of their small island sustainability programme.
Dr
Boze, Organisation of American States (OAS) Bahamas representative Juliet E
Mallet Phillip, College of The Bahamas professors Lionel Johnson and Daniel
Thompson, and executives of Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation
(BAIC) toured the North Andros farming community on Wednesday.
The
BAIC team included general manager Benjamin Rahming, assistant general managers
Arnold Dorsett (agriculture) and Judith Thompson (land), and domestic
investment manager Alphonso Smith.
At the Caleb Evans farm, COB president Dr Betsy Vogel Boze (left), professor Daniel Thompson (centre) and BAIC agriculture manager Ayret Lightbourn inspect sweet peppers grown using drip irrigation. (BIS Photo/Gladstone Thurston)
“There
is a place for Andros in our small island sustainability programme,” said Dr
Boze. “Right now it’s an academic programme but we have funding from Campbell
Shipping and the Freedom Foundation to build the bricks and mortar facility.
“I
think part of that, probably the agricultural research centre, needs to be
located in Andros as that makes a lot more sense than having it in New
Providence.”
She
told of Andros becoming “a destination location for students from all over The
Bahamas” as a result.
Pumpkins have arrived at the government’s North Andros packing house. Pictured from left are COB president Dr Betsy Vogel Boze, professor Daniel Thompson, administrator Maxine Duncombe, and chief councillor Vanda P Rahming. (BIS Photo/Gladstone Thurston)
“We
certainly need to expand our reach,” she added. “We are the national tertiary
institution and we need to serve all of The Bahamas and that certainly includes
Andros.”
She
spoke highly of Family Island students.
“I
love our Family Island students,” she said. “I see a noticeable difference
between our students from the Family Islands and our students from Nassau. They
are so respectful and polite and focused. They are a delight to have on campus.”
BAIC agriculture manager Roger Rolle updates OAS Bahamas representative Juliet E Mallet Phillip (left) and COB president Dr Betsy Vogel Boze on plantings in the North Andros demonstration greenhouse unit. (BIS Photo/Gladstone Thurston)
Professor
Johnson is chairperson of COB’s School of Chemistry, Environmental and Life
Sciences which includes agriculture.
“We
had a chance to see areas where there could be collaboration between the
various stake holders in North Andros and the College of The Bahamas, in
particular BAIC and the Department of Agriculture,” he said.
“What
you see is the availability of land and the commitment on the part of BAIC in
particular to collaborate with persons who are involved in agriculture to make
initiatives work.
“I
think that is very promising and very helpful for individuals to know that
there are partners in the field or related fields who are willing to work
together to push agriculture in North Andros,” he said.
Professor
Johnson saw opportunities for the College’s small island sustainability
programme to do a lot of its field work in Andros.
COB president Dr Betsy Vogel Boze (right) is being introduced to North Andros High School principal Terrice Curry by BAIC domestic investment manager Alphonso Smith. (BIS Photo/Gladstone Thurston)
“If
the opportunity presents itself it is possible that the agriculture sector of
the programme could be located in North Andros,” he said. “It would allow for a
lot of expansion of opportunities.
“The
kinds of opportunities that exist here we cannot do in Nassau because we don’t
have the same kind of space and technical co-operation that we will get here
from all of the extension officers and the assistance of persons from BAIC.
That would cause that programme to really flourish.”
OAS
representative Mrs Phillip was impressed by “the success stories” in
agriculture.
“We
are hoping to assist in identifying potential markets to raising the quality
and making that quality consistent to raising the level of production,” she
said.
Farmers
here are preparing for the first harvest of the winter season with cabbages,
tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, and egg plants, among products in
the government’s packing house.