A ccording to Agriculture Minister Larry Cartwright, The Bahamas may soon have to start producing its own rice in order to meet the demands of its citizens. This amazing realization comes at a time when many countries around the world are concerned about the exorbitant prices being requested for food and fuel. The rising price in fuel is due to the substantial increase in the price of crude oil on the international market, which has now exceeded an unprecedented $120 per barrel. Now local gas prices have risen beyond the $5 per gallon mark with some local economists sensing that the increase could possibly reach as high as $8 per gallon.

A recent Central Bank report states that high prices continue to dominate the country's domestic economic landscape as the average consumer prices rose by 2.37 percent during the 12-month period ending March 2008, which is up from the 2.29 percent recorded last year. For a nation like The Bahamas which imports most of its food supply, there can be disastrous consequences if the current global 'food crisis' is heightened. Therefore, when you seriously think about this, Minister Cartwright is alerting the Bahamian people about a very good alternative that allows us to feed ourselves, independent of the United States and other countries we rely on for food.

For the past several weeks, major wholesalers and retailers in America have been limiting the amount of rice being purchased by their customers mainly because of the belief that it is best to play it safe in the midst of sharp increases in the global price of rice. The Agriculture Minister even went so far as to suggest that North Andros would be the perfect place to grow rice because of its considerable amount of fresh water and let's not forget the immense land space that can be allotted for such a feat.

It is believed that should The Bahamas consider producing its own rice, it would be joining other Caribbean countries who already see the value of having their very own supply should there be any adverse global changes in the future.

This way of thinking could prove to be a step in the right direction as for years, persons with a keen interest and concern about the agricultural capability of the country have been pleading with the government to make 'feeding the nation,' a top priority.

Now it seems that with such a dismal forecast painted for the future of global food production and consumption, it is not a matter of if the government will consider producing rice, it is a matter of when.

Last week the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced plans to give Haiti $27 million in grant money to help that country cope with rising food prices and to hopefully revitalize agricultural production, and according to Jerry C. Butler, executive director of the IDB for The Bahamas, as a member of IDB, The Bahamas is eligible for grants to assist with food production, but not necessarily at this stage.

However, with food becoming high-priced worldwide, local agricultural experts believe it will soon be possible for farmers in The Bahamas to expand their business if they get the proper seeds and fertilization techniques needed. Should serious consideration be given to this, there is no doubt that cost of labor and operation of equipment will be a heavy challenge. This then raises the question: is The Bahamas able to grow rice, as rice production is known to require large land space, good quality soil and major access to water? The good thing is, all of these are obtainable in Andros. The next thing is, when will government start to find ways to make it happen.

Although large retail stores have stated that there is presently a sufficient supply of rice in the country, Minister Cartwright warns the people of The Bahamas to prepare themselves for all possibilities.