Agriculture & Fisheries Senator GRENADA

  As Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries, I have been invited by the Grenada Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to speak during their National Prayer Caravan which began at 8:30 am today, 25 September. I will speak at 4:15 pm relative to our farmers and fishers within the present Covid-19 environment.  I invite our farmers and fishers to join in anytime during the day to the prayer caravan at the link below, to pray and support prayers on behalf of our nation at this difficult time. As Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries, I support the efforts of the Ministry of Health and the nation’s frontline workers, to keep the country safe in this unprecedented time. I am also grateful that Grenada’s agriculture and fisheries sectors remain on call to support our nation’s food security, and I appeal to our nation’s farmers and fisherfolk to adhere to the Covid-19 protocols and keep safe.  Please tune in at 4:15 pm when I will speak directly to them.  Zoom: https://us02web...

18 SEPTEMBER, 2020, ST. GEORGE’S: 16 September 2021 marked one year since I was elected by our Farmers and Fisherfolk to represent them as their Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries in the Upper House of the Grenada Parliament. Representing them in Parliament is a new experience that I am learning from every day. I am grateful for their trust in me.  I am listening to the voices of our Farmers and Fisherfolk as we strengthen bonds at all levels to find solutions, by exploring opportunities, and seeking redress on their behalf. Together, we are building stronger organisations and networks from the ground up towards a better life for them, their families and the nation. I thank all the Farmers and Fisherfolk, the line Ministers and staff at the ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries, Senator colleagues, the media and the general public for their insight, assistance, and guidance provided thus far.  I am grateful that Grenada’s agriculture and fisheries sectors remain on call...

17 APRIL 2021, ST GEORGE’S: Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries, Roderick St Clair, insists Grenada must kickstart Praedial Larceny enforcement.  He recommends that the many government vehicles laid up for want of a spare part, be immediately fixed and put to use. Perhaps the police garage can be used to repair these vehicles, or the mechanics at the Mirabeau Farm Machine Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture. They have previously achieved a similar mission. St Clair recommends no less than 30 Praedial Larceny patrols with officers/wardens empowered to enforce the Praedial Larceny legislation. “In that way, thieves and vendors will be scared. Thieves will be scared because they will be subject to charges, fines, and imprisonment. Vendors will also be scared therefore they will ensure they purchase produce from legit sources, else they will also be subject to charges, fines, and imprisonment.”  He also recommends that the patrols, working with the police, conduct Praedial L...

Cell phones are not just for talking. In the hands of our farmers and fisherfolk, the power of this technology can forge new enterprise cultures in agriculture and fisheries, critical to overall productivity.  Affordable smartphones in the hands of our farmers mean they can  receive planting advice and disease diagnoses from the Ministry of Agriculture or CARDI weather information  be assisted with planning and coordination exchange information with other farmers (peer advice/assistance; knowing who is planting what and when to avoid a glut on the market)  inform supermarkets, hotels and wholesale buyers what they have in stock, and receive orders  receive payments via online banking through banks or credit unions. We need to take advantage of the profound effect that cellphone technology might have on Grenada’s efforts to reduce our import food bill, consistently deliver more produce at affordable prices, and support our national food security.  For much o...

  31 DECEMBER 2020, ST GEORGE’S: Over a 30-year period, on the advice of Her Majesty’s Grenada Ministers, Queen Elizabeth II has awarded 54 men and women for their service and contribution to agriculture, farming, fishing, agro-processing, horticulture, shipwright, seafaring, sugar, bananas, and poultry.  Grenada, our farmers and fisherfolk are doing their part to put food on our plates and we must be proud that they are being publicly acknowledged across the Commonwealth. I commend the nominating committee for including agriculture and fisheries for these awards, and for recognising and acknowledging these stalwarts in our communities. Our nation should be inspired by our homegrown heroes and motivated to grow what we eat, and eat what we grow.  This is the awardee list from 1987 – 2021 as taken from the London Gazette. The awards are  • CBE: Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire  • OBE: Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British...

“This week, Belize made its historic entry into poultry exports in the Caricom region by sending its first-ever shipment of chicken meat to Grenada.”  https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2020/12/25/belize-makes-historic-first-shipment-of-chickens-to-grenada/  I am frightened by this new development. My response is that we urgently need support to produce affordable poultry for our food security.  The survival of Grenada’s poultry industry is being threatened. Ongoing and new investments in poultry production in this country must be supported to be viable, and to be able to compete with imported products. Our local poultry farmers already find it difficult to compete with imported poultry, as feed prices contribute over 60% to their cost of production.  Grenada’s imports over $30 million in poultry products annually .  There needs to be a more supportive environment to make Grenada-grown poultry products more affordable. Then we can produce and consume more local ...

  2021 Grenada Senate Budget Debate, Day 2: Morning Session, Wednesday 16 December 2020. Rebuttal to Senator St Clair's presentation yesterday on agriculture and fisheries.

  Senator St Clair at Parliament for the Senate Budget Debate 15 DECEMBER, ST GEORGE’S: Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries Roderick St Clair, will be presenting today at the 2021 Grenada Senate Budget Debate. The 2021 Grenada Budget theme is Towards 2035: recovery, transformation (distinct change) and resilience – capacity to recover.  Senator St Clair will recognise positive accomplishments in Agriculture and Fisheries; highlight areas in the 2021 budget that are not beneficial to Agriculture and Fisheries and propose transformational approaches in terms of budget and policies for the development of Agriculture and Fisheries in the State of Grenada.  He will speak on Training – the human resource deficit in Agriculture and Fisheries, and the youth as the future of our food in Grenada. On Production and Export, he will address focus on key crops with extension support and connections to local and international markets, as well as airlift support for Agriculture and...

  The Paris Agreement was adopted by 196 Parties on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016 - so this is the 5th anniversary of the Agreement. The Agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperatures to well below 2°C, preferably to less than 1.5°C.  The Agreement also recognises  • safeguarding food security and ending hunger  • vulnerabilities of food production systems and protecting food production. Grenada signed on the Paris Agreement in April 2016. Grenada’s food security, including fruit and vegetable production, will be affected by projected future climate change.  According to a 2018 report by an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if temperatures rise to 1.5°C, 122 million additional people could experience extreme poverty by 2030 mainly due to higher food prices and declining health. So, keeping rises in temperature below 1.5°C, should see fewer climate extremes which is good news for farmers in the tropics,...

I am grateful that Grenada’s agriculture and fisheries sectors remain on call to support our nation’s food security.  Today’s Covid-19 crisis development reminds us all of the importance of ensuring that our farmers and fisherfolk adhere to the health protocols, to keep themselves, their families, workers and contacts safe.  As Senator for Agriculture and Fisheries, I support the efforts of the Ministry of Health and the nation’s frontline workers, to keep the country safe in this unprecedented time. I wish them to know they have my support and the full support of the farmers and fisherfolk in the fight against Covid-19. Their success against the spread of the coronavirus is our success - for the farmers, for the fisherfolk, and for our country.  I appeal to our nation’s farmers and fisherfolk to adhere to the protocols and keep safe.

  Good food brings people together.  As we begin to contemplate family recipes to enjoy this December, this is a great time to recognise the dedication of Grenada’s hardworking farmers and fisherfolk, bringing food to our tables. Whether you will be enjoying roast pork or baked chicken or stuffed fish, sweet potatoes or green beans, and ponche a crème, there’s more than one farmer or fisherfolk to thank for the food on your plate.  We are facing a crisis like never before with Covid-19. Times like these remind us all of the importance of ensuring our nation’s food security, and we are grateful that Grenada’s agriculture and fisheries sectors remain on call.  Support our farmers and fisherfolk this holiday season. Purchase locally grown vegetables, meats and seafood, and be assured of agriculture’s importance to our nation’s economy and to our quality of life.