Koos Sneek
PHILIPSBURG–Independent Island Councilmember Koos Sneek has received answers from the Executive Council on queries he had made about Made in Statia.
Sneek had asked the Executive Council a number of written questions about Made in Statia and agriculture in general on March 11. Sneek said the answers received have clarified a number of things that were not clear to him and have contributed to the transparency in this matter.
Sneek posed the questions after visiting the Made in Statia project and being informed about the developments there. “I did not get the impression that the project is functioning as some want us to believe. Listening to management I could hear disappointment and a level of frustration about their situation and a perceived lack of interest or understanding from the part of government,” Sneek had said in his request for answers, noting that he had been seriously concerned.
In response to Sneek’s question on who is/are the legal owner(s) of the property in use by Made in Statia, the Executive Council said the legal owner is the public entity St. Eustatius. In response to the question on whose initiative was it to grant this particular parcel of land to be used by Made in Statia, government responded “the Island Executive Counsellors in the year 2011.”
The Executive Council also said the Island Executive Counsellors had signed the decree to lease/rent the land to Made in Statia.
A number of questions related to agriculture were also asked and responded to.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/sneek-gets-answers-on-made-in-statia-queries
It is a nice initiative, but unfortunately not all are professional farmers. The scale is too small, and several risks are not in grip, like the continuity of water, protection against hurricanes, financial buffer, economic management of the choice of the plants or vegetables, etc..
Agriculture that needs to be subsidized doesn’t help the community. If the products are good, and the price and continuity as well, people will buy fresh vegetables and there is no need for government interference. Everyone knows that most food now is too costly because of transportation costs. Monopolists in St. Martin, amongst others Winair are responsible for these high prices.
And the plan to provide work for 70 people, again is not the right starting point. It should be about producing food, not being an object were unemployed are forced to work. This sounds like the slavery law that the European Dutch have since 2015: Participation Law.
Starting point should be: yes, we can produce most of our food ourselves, on Statia. And then, estimate how much would that be for 3200 people, in different products, kilograms, tons, and how many hectares are necessary for that.
And when the oil pollution business stops we will have our own food.
There are plenty of possibilities for good advice on this. Contact ‘Wageningen’.