Mr. Speaker,
I thank Honourable members for their indulgence in allowing this communication at this time.

As you know, I promised the House last week that I would seek to update the House on the discovery of citrus canker on a farm in Abaco and the measures taken to eradicate the disease.  I  believe that this will be the first of a series of communications to the House on how we are going to address this problem.

Let me say from the outset that my Ministry intends to deal with this outbreak with aggression and single-mindedness.  I cannot over emphasize the seriousness of this outbreak and the potential which it has to destroy the entire industry in The Bahamas.  I am therefore appealing to the farming community especially in Abaco, and the public at large in Abaco and throughout The Bahamas to assist the Ministry in seeking to contain this disease. I have already received pledges of support from the community there and I thank them for it.

It is also important for the farmers in Andros, in Eleuthera and in Grand Bahama, indeed wherever citrus is grown in The Bahamas to be ever watchful.  Our initial surveys show that the disease is confined to that farm Abaco but the protocols are in place to survey throughout the country. I am especially concerned about the three other groves in Abaco.  I will update the House as the  information becomes available to me.

Mr.  Speaker, I now wish to give brief time line on this matter as we now know it.  On the 29th December, 2004,  the  United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) informed my Ministry that there was a positive identification of citrus canker on citrus leaves originating from the Bahama Star Farms in Treasure Cay, Abaco.  This was confirmed by further testing on 30th December.  All shipments of citrus to the United States from Abaco were immediately suspended.

The disease affects the leaves of the mature plant, young stems and fruits.   It is causes the trees to die.  Even though the disease is caused by a  bacterium, the disease is harmless to humans.  However, humans can spread the disease on their clothing and their bodies .  The disease is also spread by infected fruit going from one country to another.  This makes it very important that the quarantine and isolation measures that the Ministry is now enforcing are followed strictly.

Bahama Star has 3,700 acres of land under cultivation in citrus in Abaco.  The land is owned by The Bahamas Government but is developed by way of a lease. The operators of the farm are not Bahamian.

An initial survey of Andros has revealed that there is no citrus canker in Andros, and so shipments to the United States from there have resumed.  We have agreed in our protocols with the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct continuous surveys of the farms in Andros, indeed through the country to watch for this  disease.  The USDA is supporting our efforts with technical assistance and personnel.

Mr. Speaker, as a result of this serious outbreak, my Ministry  will do the following:

• Supervise the immediate ploughing and burning of all the trees on  Bahama Stars Farms and on all other  infected  farms.  The destruction will include the seedlings, and the trees just outside the infected areas.  This protocol will be followed in any place where infected trees are found and as soon as they are found no matter on what island.   I am appealing for the full cooperation of the owners and the general public in carrying out this difficult and expensive task.  The destruction will begin immediately.  The Acting  Director of Agriculture  is in Abaco as we speak. The Government is providing emergency funding in a first tranche of half a million dollars to conduct this exercise.
• Some 500 workers at the farm are now unemployed.  I have instructed that their orderly departure from the farm must be arranged with the necessary balance between sensitivity to their human needs and the necessity to contain the disease.  The Ministry of Social Services and the Ministry of Labour will join us in the efforts to look after the welfare of the employees who appear to have been abandoned by their employer.
• I have given instructions to the Attorney General's office, and  U.S. Counsel are to be utilized to pursue the owners of the farm in Abaco, who appear to have abandoned the farm, removed the equipment from the island and have not discharged their responsibilities to the  Government, the workers at the farm and the general public.  I have asked the office of the Attorney General not to restrict their remedies to civil remedies but to investigate any possible criminal wrong doing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be seeking a Government to Government assistance with the Government of the United States to pursue the owners of the farm.
• I ordered an immediate training programme for extension officers in the agricultural sector so that our obligations to the international community and our industry can be effected. These extension workers will be able to conduct the surveys that are necessary and identify any signs of the disease throughout the country.
• I accepted the help offered by the United States Department of Agriculture in helping us to deal with this serious disease which has the potential to put thousands of people out of work in The Bahamas, and ruin the agricultural potential of the country for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, these are just the initial measures that I am announcing today.  Let me say that my Ministry and the Government are pledged to be resolute in dealing with this matter.  I wish to assure honourable members and the general public that the Government and the  Ministry are taking every step necessary to contain this disease.   I will further update the House as it becomes necessary.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.