Whether agriculture should take pride of place in Grenada’s development thrust or whether the preference should be given to tourism is still hotly argued but all agree that the development of agriculture is important.
The question is “is agriculture for export, for domestic consumption or both? If both, where should the priority be and what has to be done to build on that priority?
Any present or future government is faced with an intimidating task to chart a practical way forward for Grenada’s agriculture.
We all understand the importance of agriculture as a means of foreign exchange earning. We often ponder on how far focusing on exporting primary products and importing secondary ones or value added products at ridiculous prices will take us.
In addition I think most people understand the vagaries of the export trade, what with competition from other suppliers and on consequent inability to dictate prices; the stringent standards set for agriculture products entering most countries and how easy it is for the market to be disrupted.
Making some good exchange from agriculture especially if we can develop agro-processing to a significant level is desirable but the greatest incentive for us to revive this sector presently should be placed on food security.
Given the dizzy speed in which food prices are rising globally, a trend that seems set to continue into the foreseeable future it would be nice if we as a people can begin to grow what we consume. Grow what you eat and eat what you grow, this is a phrase popularized and a principle firmly practiced by the Peoples Revolutionary Government (1979- 1983) is still as sound of an advice now as was then.
Imagine the savings on foreign exchange if we were to drastically reduce our food import bill by growing and utilizing more locally grown food. Think of the health benefit of our people when we begin to replace rice and macaroni with good “green fig”, yam sweet potatoes and all those other nutritional food grown on our beautiful isle.
Unfortunately, there still lies a problem that not many Grenadian can afford to eat local products. While the prices of rice, flour, Irish potato etc are increase ever so often it remains easier to buy two pounds of rice than to buy a decent hand of green bananas. How in the world do you explain one dollar for a pound of green bananas which turns out in most case just being four grains or less at times. Three dollars and three fifty a pound of yams, sweet potatoes, dasheens and approximately five dollars for tannia , tomatoes , carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and so on are a different story.
Everything is sold now by the pound, recently I paid two dollars for four small grains of ripe bananas which are grown right here in Grenada, and how do you explain this? Produce is sold to the hotels to feed visitors much more cheaply than it is sold to locals in the market. Callaloo, which not so long ago you could cut from a neighbor’s property or even finding within drains, is now luxury.
Frankly every Grenadian would prefer to eat local for it is tasty and healthy but unfortunately the prices of feeding a family of five on locally produced food is out of their financial reach where as two pounds of rice most times is more than adequate.
After Hurricane Ivan the agriculture sector sustained a serious lash causing there to be low supply in products because of this and the demand rate the prices of local products were risen to exorbitant prices. Three years later where there is much more supplies than before the prices is yet to be returned to its original.
I talk from first hand experience when I say that I have literally seen produce spoiling in the hands of market vendors before they reduce the price. I also have it from good source that the price of Grenadian fruits and vegetables is lower in New York than it is here in Grenada, would you believe this? I think that before we give all kinds of fancy speeches about developing agriculture we must give the sector a close examination as far as it relates to local consumption of our produce.  
The industry must be organized not just from a ministry to farmer point of view but on a farmer to farmer basis. There is no functioning farmer’s organization in Grenada. The availability of certain items continues to fluctuate between glut and scarcity at a time when there are all kinds of hybrids that thrive under different conditions. Most farmers are still fighting to grow a little of everything so everything one also has more or less the same thing rather than organizing as specializing based on the type of soil on which they  farm.
Prices are set by the individual farmer for his produce and this he lowers and raises accordingly. Therefore before we talk about the distribution s of seedlings and making soft loans available, we must talk about the Ministry of Agriculture encouraging the establishment of a well structured farmer’s organization with one of its task being to look at ways to making most items local vegetables and many fruits available throughout the year.
We must not isolate the reason for the outrageously high cost of local fruits and vegetables. Does it stem from the farmers themselves and if so why? Can the cost of seeds, fertilizer pesticide and weed cider be the culprit and if so what can and should be done? Conversely is the main problem the vendors who purchases from the farmers and sell to consumers not at fair prices that ensures a reasonable profit, instead, calling the highest prices which they can squeeze out of the costumer.
It would be great for all of us to eat local. Besides the benefits to the economy we know is that many of our local fruits and vegetables are packed with beta-carotene, anti oxidants, multiple vitamins and many other health giving ingredients. While a background garden is desirous in every home not all have the space or time in addition to which if everyone grew the farmers who depends on agriculture for a living will be out of an income.
Therefore local foods must not only be available at all times but affordable to the average Grenadian family. We cannot eat local if we cannot buy local foods. After that we can talk all the other fancy talk.