COVID-19 Iron Birds , Floating Hotels and Food Production

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One Caribbean Nation.




While we remain steadfastly committed in support of the gallant efforts of regional governments in combatting the COVID-19, we are also aware, that the economies of the various countries may never be the same.
The question surfacing among progressive voices is whether it is possible to finally rid ourselves of the plantation economy, while we seek to remodel our fiscal approach after the COVID-19 era. It is widely believed that the effects of this malady, will impact for at least another five or ten years. The COVID -19 has taught us that the best of plans can be disrupted   by totally unforeseen and unexpected events. As our elders used to drive in our heads: “Trouble don’t set up like rain”.
While we certainly do not expect the remnants of the plantation economy to simply disappear; we believe that any restructuring of our economies, must involve a decreased dependency on tourism and food imports, if our economies are to ever become sustainably stronger. In recent weeks, we have witnessed leaders throughout the region trying to keep their air and seaports opened, in order to negate the shocks of COVID-19. However, closed or opened, we simply could not expect any tourists to be seeking sun, blue waters and white sands at this time.
 Suddenly, there were voices lamenting the fact, that in most territories, the agricultural industry had taken back seat to tourism. Small farmers had become accustomed to the iron birds depositing smiling foreign faces eager to enjoy the experience of “de islands”.  In the meantime, the farmers struggled to keep the agricultural industries afloat.
 The fickle realities of the tourism industry have now been laid bare before our very eyes. We always knew that any global occurrence of the COVID -19 magnitude, will devastate those economies that depended on the iron birds and floating hotels. We are reminded of yet another saying: “The stone that the builder refuse will become the head corner stone”.
We expect our technocrats to continue their efforts in removing the remnants of the plantation economy, but we can rebuild our agricultural industry because we need look no farther than our own individual back yards and try to grow something. At least we will now be growing it for ourselves and not overlords in England and elsewhere. Having overcome physical slavery, we must now remove economic slavery. We have no doubt that the iron birds and floating hotels will return. They can fly and sail, but we must eat!
We continue to give full solidarity to our regional leaders, as they continue their gallant efforts in battling the effects of the COVI9-19.

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