Wheatley Urges Residents to Farm
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley is urging BVI residents to take a more active role in food production, saying global instability and rising prices should push people to support local farming and grow food themselves. He outlined government plans — including a reservoir and agricultural complex at Paraquita Bay, fisheries landing sites and a planned memorandum with the Dominican Republic — while acknowledging recovery challenges since taking office.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley is calling on British Virgin Islands residents to turn growing global instability into practical action by supporting local food production and growing food at home. Speaking on the Honestly Speaking radio programme with host Claude Skelton Cline, Dr Wheatley said conflicts abroad and disruptions to global supply chains have increased food prices and exposed the territory's vulnerability, and that this should spur a wider push for food security at community and household levels. "That anxiety and fear, we have to translate it into not just urgency on the government level, but urgency on all levels," the Premier said, urging residents to back local farmers and fishers and to consider small-scale efforts such as backyard gardens and yarding.
While placing responsibility on households and communities, Dr Wheatley said government also has a "major role" to play. He pointed to several projects the administration is pursuing to strengthen domestic food systems, including plans for a reservoir and an agricultural complex at Paraquita Bay and the construction of fisheries landing sites to support the local fishing industry. "There's a number of things which we've budgeted money for and initiated, and those things will come to fruition in due time," he said, adding that funding has been set aside and some work has already begun.
The Premier also said the government is preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Dominican Republic to improve regional food supply connections, part of a broader strategy to diversify sources and bolster resilience. Host Skelton Cline pressed the Premier on the pace of progress, noting Dr Wheatley’s administration has been in office since April 2023 and arguing that food and fuel remain fundamental needs.
In response, the Premier listed major challenges that have slowed implementation, including recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing governance reforms. For BVI residents, the Premier's message reinforces long-standing concerns: the territory relies heavily on imports and is exposed to global price shocks and supply interruptions.
Local farming, fisheries development and household-level food growing are presented as complementary responses to reduce that vulnerability. Dr Wheatley's call is a mix of policy direction and civic appeal — government-led infrastructure and regional agreements paired with community-level actions such as supporting farmers' markets, joining community plots, and starting small home gardens to strengthen the territory's food security over time.
Primary source: BVI News