By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
THE INVESTMENTS Minister has confirmed he received a proposal for an ambitious $1.5 billion food production project on Andros, aimed at making the Bahamas self-sufficient.
Khaalis Rolle told Tribune Business on Friday that he had been handed a copy of the proposal, but had not yet had a chance to review it. The project has been submitted by Valdez Campbell, president of Planet vision Holdings, and head of the former Robin Hood retail stores, Sandy Schaefer.
Mr Campbell, who is partnering with Mr Schaefer to re-open the old Robin Hood outlets as Shepherd’s Mart, said the proposal involved a massive project on Andros aimed at eliminating the Bahamas’ reliance on food imports.
“We are going to have livestock which will meet US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval because of the labs we are going to have down there to ensure it meets the standard of global trade,” Mr Campbell said.
“We are going to be trading on the Caribbean market. The Caribbean market is a $200 billion trade market right there. The Bahamas is going to be able to get a piece of that.
“We should be able to generate revenues close to $2 billion per year. We are hoping to put up about 50-100 processing houses.
“Whatever you could find that is going to be purchased in Shepherd’s Mart or any food store, we would be able to produce them on Andros. The project is a five-year project in which we are going to be using $1.5 billion.”
Mr Campbell said he and Mr Schaefer were in talks with the leading global consulting firm, McKinsey, over the project, which he said would provide employment for up to 10,000 Bahamians.
Comments
Guy 11 years, 1 month ago
I am hoping that politics and personal interests can be put aside, and investment opportunities such as this can be considered based on merit and sustainability. The promise of jobs alone should not be the only consideration for us to hand over our land and resources to persons promising us a pie in the sky. Hopefully, this project is more than a sham to enrich a few at the expense of the masses. I would love to see it materialize only if it is beneficial to all concerned.
pete100miles 11 years, 1 month ago
Khaalis Rolle told Tribune Business on Friday that he had been handed a copy of the proposal, but had not yet had a chance to review it. I say please Minster. dont sit on something so important like this for the Country.
jackflash 11 years, 1 month ago
Why would he make an anouncemnet before reviewing the proposal?
It may be a good, sound project, and we all hope that it is.
Then again it may be another scam like the Jasper Nabb, Pegasus back in 2007 in Freeport.
Christie made big anouncements and said how great it was. Now the guys rots in jail in the US...
Khaalis Rolle is one of the brighter bulbs on the tree, I would have thought that he would have read the proposal, and then made the anouncement.
Ironvelvet 11 years, 1 month ago
Would be great for the country! A dream many of us have for our Bahamaland. I would definitely invest in this.
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 8 months ago
Story is two years old, but what's fascinating to me is, they had a full report of a system for generating a hopefully viable food supply line on Andros and the PM, Godfrey Eneas, Alfred Gray and Brave Davis came up with BAMSI??? With not one new packing house built? Clearly BAMSI's real objective was passing out lucrative contracts.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 8 months ago
Yes ............... such a wonderful idea .......... but where is the action Khaalis?????????
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