Government Responds: Farmer Ag Show Boycott
The Government said they were “surprised to read the allegations” by farmer Tom Wadson, where he said that the Bermuda Farmers Association would boycott the Agricultural Exhibition next week.
Mr Wadson is reported to have said “Several Bermuda crop farmers are boycotting the exhibition this year because of the red tape we get from Government throughout the year. We won’t be submitting entries, we won’t be judging entries and we plan to put all our entries on display in our own show.”
Mr. Wadson referred to a letter which asked the Department of Customs to intercept all imported seeds, and said the Government is “trying to kill what little is left of Bermuda’s agricultural business”.
Government said Mr. Wadson “failed to acknowledge” that the Bermuda Farmers Association, including Mr. Wadson, had met with the Environment Minister on 27th March, 2013 to discuss this issue, and the Government agreed to rescind that letter until further consultation had taken place.
This year’s Agricultural Exhibition will be held on April 18, 19 and 20 at the Botanical Gardens, and will feature a line-up of displays, performances and competitions with more than 3,000 participants registering for this year’s show.
The full statement from Government follows below:
The Bermuda Government was surprised to read the allegations by farmer Tom Wadson in a story carried by a local online media outlet today. Mr. Wadson, purportedly speaking on behalf of the Bermuda Farmers Association, announced that the Association would boycott the 75th Agricultural Exhibition next week.
Mr. Wadson referred to a letter in which the Department of Environmental Protection had asked the Department of Customs to intercept all imported seeds. Mr. Wadson also suggested that the Government was “trying to kill what little is left of Bermuda’s agricultural business”.
Mr. Wadson failed to advise the public of a number of important facts related to the concerns he has raised. In particular, he did not acknowledge that the request to intercept imported seeds was based on information that seeds had been treated with pesticides that could be harmful to agriculture in Bermuda.
He failed to acknowledge that the Bermuda Farmers Association, including Mr. Wadson, had met with the Minister responsible for the Environment on 27th March, 2013 to discuss this very issue and other concerns of the Association. Mr. Wadson failed to mention that as a result of that meeting the Government agreed to rescind that letter until further consultation had taken place on the matter. The Association and the Minister discussed a number of other issues and agreed a plan to address those issues.
With regard to the Government’s support of Agriculture, the Government is pleased to confirm its commitment to this most vital component of Bermuda’s sustainability. It’s commitment to Agriculture has been demonstrated by the decision to consolidate responsibility under one Department, the Department of Environmental Protection, rather than two as had been the case until recently.
As a result of this consolidation, the Government Marketing Centre has been moved to the Department of Environmental Protection. In addition, Government’s support to Agriculture is also demonstrated in its commitment to produce a new Agriculture Strategy.
The Minister of Environment and Planning has set a deadline of 1st November, 2013 for that strategy to be delivered to him for his consideration. Consultations with key stakeholders on the elements of this strategy have already begun.
The Agricultural Exhibition is an excellent opportunity for all of Bermuda to celebrate the importance of Agricultural to Bermuda. It is a showcase for Bermuda’s talent and expertise in a wide range of creative endeavors. The Government would like to encourage all of Bermuda to attend and join in the celebration of this wonderful Bermuda tradition.
Update 7.14pm: Mr. Wadson, speaking on behalf of the Bermuda Farmers Association, said they have not received the copy of the letter.
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Articles that link to this one:
- Farmers Will Submit Combined Ag Show Exhibit | Bernews.com | April 16, 2013
A deadline of November 1st 2012??? Mis-print or what?
Yes, it was, sorry – thanks for picking it up, it’s amended now…
I applaud govt for not allowing GMO seeds into the island. These seeds are genetically modified with pesticide already in them that helps kill off, not only bad pests, but also honey bees as well! We should definitely start a seed bank here in bermuda to help against the main GMO company, Monsanto! There are others out there but Monsanto is the main culprit! It’s estimated 83% of crops in WORLD, not just USA, the world has GMO seeds which don’t reproduce other seeds, forcing you to purchase more seeds from Monsanto, and the cycle continues…..
Thought to ponder for you….the US govt just allowed Monsanto to have a PATENT on their GMO seeds which means they can sue, should your crop reproduce their seeds….. YOU CAN’T RECYCLE “YOUR CROP” BECAUSE IT ISN’T YOUR CROP ANYMORE, IT’S MONSANTO’S OR WHICHEVER COMPANY YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE GMO SEEDS FROM!
If anyone is unfamiliar with GMO seeds, simply google it and get educated. Bermuda can really take advantage of this and be a world leader in publicly denying such companies seeds into our land!
Tom Wadson, as “organic” as he claims, should stand with the govt on this issue and be the head of the spear to bring such a seed bank in bermuda to fruition!!!! JUST THINK FOR ONCE, PLEASE
http://marycrimmins.com/boycott-gmo-companies/ take a look at what we are up against
Very informative. Thanks it was worth reading your comment.
Serious question: why are local strawberries $12.99 when imported berries are only $6? This is ridiculous!
At those prices, I can’t support local farmers.
If people would buy more local food not just local produce it could keep millions of dollars in Bermuda so we farmers are not only trying to make a living but also trying to make sure everything is fresh and healthy…if nobody bought local produce then Bermuda would lose tens of millions of dollars a year…our money would go to the us…. Just sayin
@Brad. Bda farmers have no economies of scale here in Bermuda. They are competing against farms that are the size of Bermuda itself. By supporting local farmers however you are helping to protect open spaces and you are eating very healthy and fresh food.
Would be nice to support the local farmers and have tried to in the past but it’s really not economical for a local family of five. More realistic prices would be great. It cost an arm and a leg for carrots and they don’t taste fresh half the time.
It all depends where you buy your local berries. I’ve seen them as low as $9.50. As I recall last week the Grocery stores were retailing Foreign, tasteless strawberries for $11 a packet. Now that the Local berry supply has increased grocery stores can’t compete. YOU DO THE MATH. They used to make at least $5 per box of berries! Now they’re at $6 and they are still making some $$$ even on that price. NOW YOU RECONSIDER! Perhaps you should no longer consider purchasing from the shady profit diven “supermarkets” and start supporting wholesome and locally produced fruit and veg.
Also factor in cost of labor, in the US farm workers, especially migrant workers( who are often the ones picking the crops), generally get paid abysmal wages and have no health ins., no pension plans, etc. (A recent article uncovered migrant workers actually kept in slave-like conditions) We “vote” who gets what everytime we spend our money.
And don’t forget the huge government subsidies the US growers get. Why do you think they grow predominantly wheat and corn? These are the ones that get the most subsidies from the US Govt.
this whole seed issue opens up a can or worms. so whay happens to Gorhams, SAL and masters , Animal Garden and Alberfeldy where as a consumer i can buy a package of seeds, does that mean their seeds IMPORTED also needs to be inspected?? what a waste of taxpapers money having to inspect them all. its no wonder that there are no longer an aundance of Easter Lillies now since they have clamped down on bulb importation too. soon the only Easter Lily smell will be one from a Yankee Candle
I also agree with our Government’s stand on this one. Children are even standing up against these types of GMO seeds. We should band GMO foods too for the better health of our people. We need to control are own food. People need to wake up and remove the invisible blindfold to what they are eating.
What is to say that all Bermuda Famers use GMO seeds. Some choose not to for those exact reasons. The consumer needs to get back to their roots and see where there food comes from, many will be surprised and how many farmers dont use GMO seeds. Bermuda needs to get back to basics and support local markets and stands so they have that relationship to find out exactly what isn’t in and on their produce. We as consumers have to stop speculating and get the facts ourselves!
And guess which farmer is the only known person to import, plant and even share GMO seeds in Bermuda…criminal. No seriously, labeling food as organic and selling GMO is a crime in the US. Known your farmer’s character and/or grow your own food.
And no, the govt has taken no position on GMO seed. They are concerned about chemicals in treated seed yet spray thousands of GALLONS of toxic chemicals roadside every year (bought from Monsanto). They allow farmers to spray insane chemicals yet are focussing on the traces in treated seed? Walk past a tomato field amd seed farmers with chemical suits and gas masks….are we are eating this???
I am all for getting the right seed (non-hybrid, non-GMO) but prioritize right people!
Watson… You are framing on Govt land. Too much land for one farmer, govt should share it. Bet that would keep you quiet.
Bermuda Boy,have you ever been to the Watson farm ? this guy has the best produce on the Island !!!!and your stupid comment about to much land for one farmer !!!!!! thank God we have farmers like Tom Wadson.
I hate to say it but a lot of Bermudians are damn well stupid.
Obviously you did not see is apology letter in the royal gazette last year I think….he apologized for lying to his customers about being all organic… And he is not the best farmer on the island…. There ar very trustworthy farmers who I go to now because I know where their food comes from….
Come on Tom. We strongly support you and your farm, and farmers in general. This will sound like nothing more than sour grapes if you boycott the Ag Show. It really sounds as though the new Government heard your concerns and is trying to address them.
Please sleep on it and then call someone to say that you and the farmers will be there. If not you will tick off thousands of your loyal customers and supporters, and that you don’t need.
I will still support the farmers no matter what, they have had to endure lot of crap over the years, Tom and you other farmers “stand strong”
Have some goat cheese with that whine Tom! You sound like a little kid who can’t have his way.
A Loyal Customer.
Peter, you sound like a fool..I suggest you have some rats cheese with your wine.
worst zinger ever
I think Tom Watson knows more about agriculture than any so called minister…. now or in the previous gov,I hope the other farmers back him up and boycot the ag show.
Please remember that Tom is speaking on behalf of the Bermuda Farmers Association. He is the messenger!
Additionally, in response to a post above, the government land that he has under cultivation is only about 1 acre.
Com’on people, the farmers of Bermuda need support.
I will surely support the farmers of Bermuda, toady we went to wadson farm and got the best strawberry’s and bananas ever..and they also have bermuda sweet potatoes.. Bermudians we need these few farmers, go out and buy our local produce, and the hell with the so called gov ministers who have no clue what they re talking about.
Its not so much a ministers wrong doing but a self promoting individual who is overstepping their bounds and trying to re write the system overnight.
Somebody needs to ask Tom Wadson when was the last time he submitted an entry to the Ag Show, or whatever people want to call the Exhibition.
Why don’t you ask him?
Why are you putting it upon “somebody” to ask him?
Then – tell us all what he said, LaV.
Last year actually….
Reminds me of the kite ‘fiasco’.
monsanto….killing you softly…WAKE THE F#@K UP PEOPLE!!!!
Preach
What would some guy that got a Government position for 4 years know about Farming!
Are Wadson’s products actually organic? I heard they wouldn’t pass the organic test if he tried to sell them overseas… What chemicals does he use? And why am I hearing this?.
firstly investigate ur source of information…secondly zero chemicals are used in organic farming…thirdly if the vegetables or fruits you are buying are all pretty n perfect, then rest assured that they are not organically produced, if you dont see that insects or worms have had a feast on then they are not fit for human consumption .. there is a video called “Farmageddon” do yourself a favour and watch it with your family, especially young children because they are the only chances of changing the elitists agenda for our future.
Investigate? I did and the results are not at all consistent with your commentary. And I have pictures, letters and invoices to prove it. There are a few trustworthy organic farmers around. But not all.
Farmerjoe: you have a good point!! Legally, nobody in Bermuda can be classified organic as you have to be located 2 miles from any main thoroughfare; and we all know in Bermuda thats impossible!
Farmers worldwide work the hardest to feed us all,and get paid the least,something’s very wrong in this world . corporations and their executives produce nothing but get paid the most .revolution means freedom .keep your heads up farmers world wide .you work hard to feed us all thank you.
Is Tom actually speaking on behalf of all the other farmers or just himself? Last year he decried the other farmers saying he is the only farmer in Bermuda whose farm is organic ( and its NOT). Then, he cries and whine about the price of feed for his pigs and other animals and receives money from businesses to offset the costs of his business and is still putting it all in his pockets. I suspect an agenda from Tom on this one too.
apparently you dont purchase organic foodstuffs or you would know that they are much more expensive…why? you might ask…well with out the dangerous chemicals that the fda approves, there is more spoilage or shorter shelf life which equals more losses to the farmer who still has paid his workers and whatever other expenses he has incurred…the same thing with milk ie;pasteurization n homoginization…sure it lasts longer in your fridge but it is dangerous and causes numerous ailments to the human body, but you wouldnt know this because you are asleep. Animals milk should not be consumed by humans anyway, but you wouldnt know this because you are asleep…you have been lied to your entire life , but you wouldnt know that because you are asleep…all of you go with the flow sheeple are circling the drain …but you wouldnt know this because you are asleep…i’m done with dummies…
Wake them up Bie.
Tom sold eggs to his own family, from chickens he kept at a nice fellas horse stables when he was a young boy, so it shows with this crying now that a leopard does not change its spots. Tom is ALL for Tom.
Well if Tom paid To feed the chickens And used his time and labor To get those eggs to people’s doorstep. Why would he do it for free? Sounds like you wanted the free eggs. So who’s in it for themselves?
Family is family and they do so much for you Mann….I would never force my family to pay for my stuff in one hundred years .
No such thing as free eggs hate to tell ya unless you are stealing them from your neighbours coop! Chickens are not cheap to feed so why the heck should he give eggs away? Gets my goat about people in Bermy they think they are owed stuff and things should be handed to them because so and so in their cousin. It’s just the same as your ace boy that doesnt have his own transport and expects to use yours or you chauffeur him around he sitting pretty while you paying for gas, licence, insurance tyres etc…….. garbage! Some Bermudians are so irresponsible!
I’m not hearing much concern about the question of whether the seeds being imported are laced with pesticides… nor questions on the affects of those pesticides on our human health and on the health of the soil in which our local food is being produced.
Good point Kim. After reading up a bit further on the GMO seeds I re-cant the statement I’d made to an article posted in yesterdays,(R/G Fri 12’13)
I was under the impression of one thing and must admit, “I had been incorrect”. Having a better perspective on this OMB stuff and how it genetically hinders plants / veggies from producing seeds is absurd!
Tom and the others need to introduce a local seed bank and swallow the lump in their throats and do what they know to be the only way to rectify any wrongs done by the new and supposedly, “improved seed”
Furbert
Why do you feed your mushrooms sh*t and keep them in the dark ? Your Mr Bean has blossomed into a mini thistle and Chris Furbert is nothing more than a Dandy Lion. Perhaps that nut grass Burgess & Commissiong will feel the full wrath.!!
Creative agricultural commentary.
They gotta check the seeds bc dudes importing ganja seeds.
everyone wants to just do what they do just to profit dont make it right there has to be a consequence for bad behavior or choices
No frakenseeds in bermuda please even if it puts poluted and toxic great looking veggies in the stores Bermuda should be organic farming only
Thank you to the government for looking out for the people of Bermuda. These GMO seeds are going to ruin the health of all those who consume them. If insects are not eating them then neither should we. It is sad that the animals, bugs, etc. have more sense than we have. Watch all the information on Youtube about Monsanto the huge company who is at the forefront of this GMO scandal. Now that America has made it law for their people to consume GMO crops we think that we should follow them? If they have to boycott the Ag show then so what! Tom Wadson is a fraud with those so called “organic” expensive vegetables anyway. Also, he had all those chickens in those little areas squeezed together and not allowed to get out of their cage for a long time. I guess someone must have reported it because they are now all gone or moved to a more hidden area so that we can’t see how badly they are treated for our consumption. Bermudians need to take charge of their own health. Europe has banned all GMO seed and products from their countries and we should too. If we want to keep healthcare costs down, then we need to keep all that cancer causing chemicals out of our bodies. This is serious and I would encourage everyone to do the research. It is now an offense for the media to do undercover documentaries on farms and animal cruelty in the USA. What do they have to hide??
Watch Farmageddon
For Pat, and others that are blind, Tom’s laying chickens are free to roam and scratch in a very large fenced in area. The Broilers that he was raising for meat were in large enough cages and the cages were moved forward in the field every other day and fed 3 times a day and had water all day. I wonder if you lot expect him to put them in his bedroom next.if you are really that concerned, stop by Tom’s farm and let him explain to you how they are raised and why they are raised that way.
Where did folks get the idea that this issue is about GMO seeds? Treated seeds are not GMO’s. Treatment such as fungicides are applied after the seed is grown as protection from disease. GM seed are genetically altered in the growth process. We do need to have a discussion about GMO’s and prevent them from being used locally however it is another topic. It would behoove the DEP to explain why the treatments are harmful and why they did not inform the public of this new policy, if indeed there is a new policy.