Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Minister Pintard: Hurricane Dorian Caused Agriculture and Marine Industry over $60 Million in Damages
#Nassau, September 26, 2019 – Bahamas – Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Hon. Michael Pintard said that the damage to the Agriculture and Marine Resources Industry in Grand Bahama and Abaco caused by Hurricane Dorian has been catastrophic.
In fact, he is convinced that the negative impact on the industry in Grand Bahama, from a preliminary assessment, rings to the tune of some $60 million in damages.
“The reality is the damage to the industry in Grand Bahama has been catastrophic and we are talking about a sector that was already under resourced,” said Minister Pintard.
A number of officials from the Bahamas Agriculture and Industry Corporation (BAIC) in Nassau visited Grand Bahama last week to get some idea of the impact hurricane Dorian had on the industry in the Second City.
Minister Pintard said his Ministry is working with a number of international agencies with a view of doing a careful assessment of the impact of Dorian on the sector. They are currently working with the Food and Agriculture Administration of the United Nations (FAO), along with the Agricultural arm of the Organization of American States and CARDI, which works in close association with CARICOM.
Their assessment will consider a number of aspects including, what impact did it have on the farmers and fishers themselves; how it impacted the roads, docks, packing houses, buildings, equipment, fish processing houses, tractors and more.
They will also consider the impact on the product directly.
“In other words, they will be looking at what crops were destroyed, what crops were adversely affected, so that we could get a realistic look at the magnitude of how the hurricane affected the sector,” said Minister Pintard.
“We know that clearly, this is well in excess of $60 Million damage within the sector with just the preliminary, rapid assessment, but we need a more detailed assessment. Then we must determine how much income will be foregone over the foreseeable future.”
Minister Pintard noted that in the absence of insurance, when a devastation like hurricane Dorian takes place, the farmers and fishers are often left to the goodwill of the government, and in this case, the international community.
This tragedy, he said, creates a greater urgency to have an insurance plan put in place, and it is something which farmers and fishers and the government will have to collaborate upon.
Aside from the aforementioned international agencies who have come in to assist, Minister Pintard added that the World Food Programme is in Grand Bahama, looking at ways in which to assist. He said that Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers from around the Caribbean and from throughout the Region have reached out to him to offer their help.
“We are confident that we are going to be able to remedy some of the challenges that our farmers and fishers have,” said Minister Pintard. “But this is not a short-term fix, so we have to be realistic in terms of the expectations that we create and we have to work in tandem with the stakeholders in the sector.
“It is important that the public, local and international, know that the Bahamas is an archipelago, so two important centres of commerce has been ravaged, but we have other islands that are engaged in agriculture and marine resources that are continuing, so the country is not closed for business, but it has been negatively affected.”
Minister Pintard added that this calamity gives The Bahamas an opportunity to consider climate smart solutions to the problems that may have plagued the country for a long time.
“This gives us an opportunity to hit the reset button,” said Pintard. “That means now we pay more attention to other aspects like aquaponics, hydroponics, where we have greenhouses that can withstand a category four or five hurricane.
“We need to do things that are climate smart. The technologies we choose, the places and manner in which we build, have to take into consideration the potential and future catastrophe similar to this one.”
By: Andrew Coakley
Release: BIS
Photo Credit: ZNS
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
