The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, in partnership with the Agricultural Development Organisation (ADO), launched the 2025 Agrarian Awards yesterday at Atlantis Paradise Island, announcing more than $50,000 in prizes to be presented on October 18.

Agriculture Minister Jomo Campbell unveiled the theme, “Planting with Heart and Soil,” which he said reflects a national call to action emphasising care, sustainability, and community.

“It reminds us that sustainable agriculture is not simply about new technology or modern equipment, although those are important,” Mr Campbell said. “It is also about how we care for our land, how we feed our people, how we build self-reliant communities and how we ensure that agriculture is not a sector of the past but a force for the future.”

Mr Campbell also named the first honourees: Pericles Mallis, recipient of the Minister’s Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, and Forrester Bowe, winner of the Emerald Pioneer Award.

Mr Bowe, 92, of Forest, Exuma, was recognised for decades of livestock farming and advocacy for sustainable agriculture. He remains an active farmer and recalled his journey from racetrack jockey to major livestock producer, introducing breeds like South African Boer goats and Dorper sheep to The Bahamas.

“I was born into farming,” he said. “I bought animals from Golden Isles Dairy, then went into pigs, goats, sheep. A man from Eleuthera said he wanted to start a pig business. I gave him 85 female pigs without asking for a penny. Then he said, ‘But you did not give me a boar.’ So I gave him a boar. I help where I can.”

Mr Bowe discussed challenges with feed costs and market pricing, and his work developing coconut plantations in the Family Islands. He funded scouting trips to Mexico and Costa Rica to explore crop opportunities.

“Coconut water is now $25 a gallon,” he said. “We got a lot of sick people on chemo, and when they drink that coconut water, it helps them. I brought in 18,000 coconut plants. In two and a half years, your kid could creep and pick a coconut.”

He criticised low supermarket prices for local produce, recalling a time he chose to give his vegetables away rather than sell at a loss.

“They want give you 25 cent a pound, and they sell it for 60. I load my truck up and I give it away,” he said. “I’m not a good salesman.”

Mr Mallis reflected on his upbringing on a family farm, dedicating his award to his father and fellow farmers. He encouraged Bahamians to consider farming as a future career or retirement venture.

“There has never been a time in our history with so much hope and optimism in agriculture and fisheries,” he said. “People tell me to export mangoes, but you would have to pick them early and irradiate them. When a tourist drinks a daiquiri made with my mangoes, that is an invisible export dollar.”

He urged the public and policymakers to leverage tourism as a primary outlet for local produce.

“Why export when our tourists are already here? That mango in a daiquiri is an export dollar. It might be invisible, but it is real,” he said.

Other awards include Male and Female Farmer of the Year, Youth Farmer of the Year, School and Community Farms of the Year, Commercial Farm of the Year, Agri-Processor of the Year, and the People’s Choice Backyard Farmer of the Year.

Nominations are open until September 1 at www.adobahamas.org. People’s Choice entries must include a photo or video sent to agrarianawards@gmail.com. Facebook engagement will determine the winner.

“This is more than just an awards night,” Mr Campbell said. “It is a tribute to resilience. It is a moment to say as a country that we see our farmers, that we value our agri-leaders and that we believe agriculture is the root of our national strength.”

Sponsors include Royal Caribbean, RBC, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute, Super Value, Caribbean Bottling, Nassau Airport Development, Bahamasair, Aliv, and the Tourism Development Corporation. Tickets will go on sale after nominations close.