Ada, one of the panelists in the discussion of agriculture market opportunities during yesterday’s Agricultural Summit at the Saipan World Resort, said the administration’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy has identified the potential of CNMI’s agriculture.
But there has to be a cooperative effort to make this happen.
At least 175 people, mostly farmers, attended the summit which will end today.
The main issue that farmers raised during the discussion was marketing of their produce.
Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Jim Arenovski and Palms Resort purchasing manager Rex Moses talked about what the local market needs.
Ada said there is a market for locally produced vegetables.
There is the Public School System which, according to its food and nutrition services director Hee Jae Lee, consumes 10,000 lunch meals a day and spends $12,000 on local food and $64,000 on off-island food supplies.
Even the Department of Public Health can be required to buy the “safest” vegetable produced locally, according to House Health, Education and Welfare Committee Chairman Ralph DLG. Torres, R-Saipan.
Moses said locally produced fresh food is something they can consider patronizing.
Arenovski said businesses want their employees to eat healthy food and are willing to provide locally produced vegetables and fruits in their cafeterias.
A healthy worker is a more efficient worker, he said.
Ada said Commerce is now working with the Commonwealth Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in conducting a feasibility study on local agriculture.
“But first of all we need to know the production capability and the market demand,” Ada said.
In meeting the demand for the military buildup on Guam, he added, there may be some products that Guam can also produce which means that the CNMI must offer other types of produce, he added.
A cooperative of farmers, Ada said, is essential to develop local agriculture.
Once this group of farmers is in place, the government can help it secure funding for a study on market demand.
House Commerce and Tourism Committee Chairman Joseph C. Reyes, R-Saipan, also believes there is a market for local farmer produce.
However, there should be a guarantee that the farmers can consistently produce what the market demands, he added.
Agriculture Director Richard Seman said he was glad the farmers and ranchers “shared their concerns and appreciated what was going on.”
He said he was also glad to heard from the farmers themselves that they cannot be totally dependent on the government.
