Mr. Alfred Gray, Former Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister for the outgoing government (PLP), says he is not surprised the new government (FNM) are continuing funding BAMSI to the tune of $8 million during 2017/2018.

This is a travesty and just one of the areas where spending cuts could and should have been made.

Government has to start basing their funding decisions on cost benefit studies.

In the case of BAMSI, even if one had fallen for the narrative that this organization would make The Bahamas self sufficient in food (LOL), after two years of pouring $15 million in operating costs into it – not to mention the millions in construction costs – to simply agree to another $8 million is well, discouraging.

An operation like BAMSI should be required to pay for itself through tuition fees and sale of the produce it grows. If it can’t break even it should be sold off.

But like so many pipe dreams sold by the political class, BAMSI is just another hole for tax dollars.

If we would just study the history of agricultural “adventures” by the government over the years and the costs the taxpayers have endured it should make us sick enough to our stomachs that we would never consider another agricultural programme by any government.

There is a bright spot however. The Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis has made some interesting pronouncements regarding the future of BAMSI and possible privatisation of the produce exchange and provide land supplies, equipment and business services to Bahamian farmers to support the industry.

How that shakes out with containing expenditure will be worth following.