Members of the Grand Bahama Agri-Business Expo are pictured here with family members of the late Dwight Sawyer, in whose memory the event is being staged. The Expo will be held this coming Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, at Goombay Park. Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Honourable V. Alfred Gray will deliver opening remarks. (BIS Photo/Andrew Miller)

Freeport, Bahamas - Everything is in place for the staging of the Grand Bahama Agri-Business Expo, says its Chairperson, West Grand Bahama Administrator Brenda Colebrook.

Scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, at the old Goombay Park at the rear of the International Bazaar, this event is designed to improve awareness of the importance of moving towards food security and at the same time focus on business opportunities in the agricultural and marine sectors.

This year, the Agri-business Expo is being dedicated to the memory Dwight Sawyer, an outstanding Bahamian farmer who made a tremendous impact in his field.

According to Ms. Colebrook, these Expos are being held in several major islands throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and present a golden opportunity for local residents to display and sell their products.

“Sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, indeed these expos are viewed as a timely opportunity to expose Bahamians to employment opportunities and the potential for work in the agriculture and marine sector which as the Minister recently described as becoming “sexy” given the fact many Bahamians are engaged in backyard farming, while a huge number have turned to fishing, farming and arts a craft for their economic future,” she stated.

Ms. Colebrook further stressed that we are all aware of the attention the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) is getting at Andros both from Bahamians and the international community.

“Its charge from the Government is to foster a more strategic approach to investment in research and training; and to make food and manufacturing sectors more attractive career opportunities for young people.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, along with other stakeholders, has been mandated by the Government to do its part to promote, encourage, and stimulate the agricultural, marine resources, and agri-business sectors towards enhancing of food supply and lessening our dependency on foreign imports.

“The Ministry takes this mandate very seriously and hence the sponsoring of these Expos,” she said.

Ms. Colebrook informed that a lot of planning has gone in the staging of the Grand Bahama Agri-business Expo 2015, and that committee members have been meeting for weeks to ensure its success.

“I wish to point out that there has been representation from all sectors of the Grand Bahama community, including the participation of the Local Government Chief Councillors from East and West Grand Bahama and the City of Freeport.

“So come Friday and Saturday all of Grand Bahama will be represented at the Expo which will be officially opened by the Minister for Agriculture and Marine Resources the Hon. V. Alfred Gray.”

The official opening is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Friday and the Committee expects the active participation of schools from throughout Grand Bahama: students will be bused to the site.

In addition to the various food products, arts and crafts on display -- participants can enjoy some good-ole-Bahamian cooking and native drinks at the site, along with enjoying the talents of the Grand Bahama Youth Choir.

“We will have a number of competitions involving aspiring young chefs from the schools, view cooking in the Rock Oven, native jams and more,” she advised.