Bahamas News

Mrs. Ann Marie Davis donates breadfruit plants, declares the tree’s health and economic benefits

Published

12 months ago

May 15, 2023

Deandrea Hamilton

By ROBYN ADDERLEY

Bahamas Information Services

#FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas – In keeping with the country’s 50th anniversary celebration, Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, wife of the Prime Minister, on Friday, May 12 donated 50 breadfruit trees to Old Freetown Farm.

The farm was devastated during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 when they lost one employee and hundreds of animals. Owner Sissel Johnson said two breadfruit trees survived the storm but were destroyed during the cleanup.

While addressing some of the attendees of Forum for Impact (FFI) Americas platform that was opened on

Wednesday at Pelican Bay, Mrs. Davis said the planting of breadfruit trees has profound impact on our environment, society, and our economy.

Listing the benefits, she said the planting of these trees in tropical countries like Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, Dominica, Hawaii, Haiti and now Grand Bahama have environmental benefits. They are, Mrs. Davis continued, strong and resilient and can withstand strong hurricane winds, reduce soil erosion, and promote water conservation.

Mentioning health benefits, Mrs. Davis said, “The tree has been named the choice ‘Tree That Feeds’ by the Tree That Feeds Foundation. The fruit is gluten free, rich in nutrients, just about 100 grams of breadfruit, approximately half a cup, provides 25 percent of the required daily allowance for fiber.” And she went on to list the other healthy advantages of breadfruit.

Describing it as “a nutritious goldmine” Mrs. Davis added that the use of breadfruit will be one of the shifts seen in the future.

Regular consumption of boiled breadfruit leaves lowers blood sugar levels, treats kidney damage, and lowers uric acid. Another benefit, the Prime Minister’s wife continued, is curing hepatitis, dental pain, and rashes.

Most importantly, she said, is looking at the need for food and food security. With the expansion of the economy of Grand Bahama and more visitors coming to the island, there will be more people to feed.

While these trees do not get as much attention as other major crops, they do supply an abundance of fruit with each

tree yielding between 100 and 200 fruit annually for 50 years or more. It also provides a variety of foods for local and international communities.

“One tree can sustain a family of four for a decade or more,” said Mrs. Davis.“Recent studies have shown that shift in climates will have little effect on breadfruit cultivation.”

She added, “Many countries combat food insecurity by importing foods like wheat or rice and that comes with a high environmental cost and high carbon footprint. With breadfruit however, these communities can produce food grown locally with a lower carbon footprint and lower environmental cost.”

As the breadfruit tree attracts certain wildlife, continued Mrs. Davis, this will help maintain a natural ecosystem and beautify the area, particularly in Grand Bahama.

“The economic benefits of planting breadfruit trees are wide and they create job opportunities, stimulate local economy through the production of breadfruit-based products, promoting agro-tourism in the region and making vodka,” she said.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Header: Fifty breadfruit plants were donated to the owners of Old Freetown Farm, George and Sissel Johnson, on Friday, May 12 when wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Ann Marie Davis was on island. Shown from left are Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Davis and Melvin Seymour, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Grand Bahama. 1st insert: With breadfruit being a key to food sustainability, Mrs. Ann Marie Davis donated 50 plants to Old Freetown Farm in Freeport on Friday, May 12. Mrs. Davis is shown planting one of the breadfruit plants assisted by George Johnson, one of the owners.

2nd insert: Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, wife of the Prime Minister, has embarked upon a ‘Trees That Feed’ campaign promoting breadfruit and all its benefits from food to business. While in Freeport on Friday, May 12, Mrs. Davis donated 50 plants to Old Freedom Farm, a farm destroyed during Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

(BIS Photo/Andrew Miller)

Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

Published

3 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.”

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”