Dear Source:
It was an honor for me to attend the Agriculture Forum on the 22nd and 23rd of April, 2002, at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix campus. Representatives and dignitaries from the U.S.D.A., neighboring Caribbean countries, local dignitaries to the likes of Mr. Hicks and Senator Luther Renee, our farmers, and agriculture stakeholders made the entire forum for me an enthusiastic and learning experience. The University of the Virgin Islands, a land grant institute, is our main center for higher learning in the territory. Through the Cooperative Extension Services, we have begun a powerful networking tool and gained new ideas to help preserve our farmlands in the territory and gain momentum to making our agriculture industry a stronger revenue generator for the territory.
One of the issues that became apparent for our farmers was the inability to obtain federal funding because the local government would not lease farmlands that were under three-acre plots. Many of our farmers produce their products on one-acre plots. I do agree that an acre of well cultivated land can yield a large volume of produce to help sustain our local markets and increase the circulation of supply for a growing demand in the territory. When there is a consistent turnover of farm produce from one-acre plots, this will eventually allow our farmers to get stronger and generate more capital so that they can expand their markets and enter into partnerships with many hotels and restaurants to keep the cycle of supply and demand consistent year round.
As we brainstormed, we were able to come up with ideas to create and amend legislation to tackle such problems as the one I mentioned. Aside from creating legislation that will allow our farmers to obtain leases for one-acre plots, so that they meet the federal requirements of having a lease to gain access to federal assistance, from my understanding, Congress would also have to re-evaluate the law and make further concessions for our U.S. territories. By federal standards, a farmer is required to cultivate at least three acres of land to obtain funding. If legislation were to be introduced locally to help our farmers gain one-acre plot leases, this might conflict with federal law. It is imperative that we let our Congress representative, Donna M. Christensen, know that this is an issue that she can tackle in partnership with the other congressional representatives of the territories.
Because the Virgin Islands is not authorized to trade among the Caribbean, which was also addressed in the forum, the federal government needs to realize that our needs as a territory may differ from other states, and our access to generate produce trade is limited. Federal legislation needs to be amended to allow our territory to trade locally made produce and products to help boost our local economy and strengthen our farming initiatives.
As a territory, we have been authorized by the United States Congress to develop our own local constitution. Many say that in order for a constitution to be effective, that our future political status as a territory needs to be determined first. I disagree. A constitution to the likes of the Revised Organic Act of 1954 is a body of laws that govern a people. A constitution can always be amended to cater to the needs and issues that affect the present and future of a sovereign state or territory. Congress has given us the green light but we have dropped the ball. If we the people can draft our local constitution, it will encourage the federal government to allow us more self determination and grant us further liberties to take control of our own destiny as a sovereign people of the United States Virgin Islands. Such efforts could help us gain quicker access to Caricom and other international free trade associations and agreements to improve our local agriculture industry's potential output.
This forum was a positive step forward that has allowed our farmers and agriculture stakeholders to gain a better understanding on how to network with our local public representatives and strengthen our communication with the Federal Government to get the assistance our farmers are entitled to. As many feel that technology and an expansion of commercial entities is the wave for the future of economic success, let us not forget that our agriculture industry can be a very powerful ingredient that can build a strong foundation in developing commercial and manufacturing interests.
In appreciation,
Juan Figueroa-Serville,
St. Croix
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