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Tudela: Tie farming to tourism
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Posted on Jul 22 2008
To bolster the Commonwealth’s agriculture sector, local leaders should consider linking it with the tourism industry in the future, according to a July 3 letter sent to CNMI government officials by Antonia Tudela, chairwoman of the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council.
In the letter, addressed to Department of Natural Resources Sec. Ignacio Dela Cruz and Ross Manglona, director of Northern Marianas Colleges’ Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service, Tudela urges them to consider the recommendations of economic developers on “how agriculture should be packaged and promoted as a tourism supported industry.”
For example, Tudela notes that farmers could focus on growing foods that are in high demand among tourists such as pineapple, sugar cane and star fruit and should be encouraged to market products in resorts, restaurants and at high profile events like the annual Flame Tree Festival.
“[I]ncreasing farm yield should not just be aimed to reduce the local dependency on imported food items as much as it should be tied in to the tourism industry,” the letter says.
In addition, Tudela says wholesale distribution of local produce and fish could also be marketed among resorts and restaurants via a government cooperative. The Commonwealth Development Authority and federal agencies could provide the initial funding needed to start such a venture.
Before the local agriculture sector can improve, however, Tudela adds that updated data is needed to gauge its production capacity. Meanwhile, the pending military build-up on Guam, Tudela notes, will provide a much larger opportunity for growth.
“The ripple effect will extend out to the CNMI and the rest of Micronesia,” Tudela says. “It is important for this reason that we should all be prepared for an overnight commercialization of the local agricultural industry to supply the need for fresh organic farm produce.”
Moreover, Tudela notes that farmers need to organize in order to market themselves effectively in the future. To aide that effort, the council is holding stakeholder meetings to determine a course of action, the letter concludes.
