Plant more food
published: Monday | January 6, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
AS THE clouds of war loom across the face of the earth, we in Jamaica must take stock of what such a prospect means for us. I was a mere infant during the period of the Second World War (1939-45) but can nonetheless recall the complaints of all others around me as to the hardships they endured daily.
It is predicted that oil prices will skyrocket and with the threat of "germ warfare" food supply will be affected. Our priority, as a nation, will be to feed ourselves; Jamaica is also both, geographically and naturally, in a position to be the breadbasket of three of our closest neighbours, namely, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, who all have to import every item of food that is eaten in their respective countries.
We must, therefore, embark on a massive food-planting programme that will both satisfy those needs and create employment. "It is an ill wind that blows no one any good", and perhaps the recent closure of the Hampden Estate may provide a perfect starting point.
