Contract signed for new agriculture and fisheries complex
The Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) has signed a contract valued at nearly $95,200 for constructing a new Agriculture and Fisheries Complex.
Trojan Design and Development Ltd. was awarded the contract for the project. The complex is envisioned to provide farmers and fishers with the resources they need to increase productivity, access new markets, and reduce the Territory’s dependence on imports.
“The Complex design is integral to this because as we produce more, we do not want a system where our farmers and fishers, in addition to producing the products that they are responsible for, now have to go and make individual arrangements with restaurants or the supermarkets,” Junior Agriculture Minister Dr Karl Dawson stated.
According to the RDA, the design will include facilities for the processing, storage, and distribution of farmers’ and fishers’ products. It will feature an abattoir, fish processing facility, and office spaces for administrative and technical services.
Meanwhile, the construction management assures that the facility will be built according to the approved designs.
The new Agriculture and Fisheries Complex will be a modern facility with value-added functionality for safe food processing. It is set to replace facilities destroyed by the hurricanes in 2017, modernizing the abattoir, re-establishing the fish processing hub, and offering new spaces for administration, technical services, and educational programs with a view to processing and exporting food products.
According to Dawson, this project was conceived alongside the Virgin Islands Food Security and Sustainability Act 2022.
The RDA’s website suggests the project is expected to start in November 2024 and conclude in February 2027, which is approximately 27 months or 2 years and 3 months.
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No matter what you do or say you are not ready for this job. As a minister of the gospel you do not even speak up for what is right. I am not not your judge, but should you even be preaching?
My guess, assumption, supposition, belief as I see it clear as day,this man is in the same enveloping sinister element of his infamous close in proximity and familiarity adjacent neighbor man, the newly convicted and imprisoned in the USA past Premier of these VI.
He ain’t rite atall tall!!!!.
He seems to be in the vice of the viceroys of D1.
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Where’s the farmers food to put in the complex. I don’t think anymore time should be wasted on constructing new building. Try fix the ones damage like the admin complex, schools, community center. These dumb politicians just want to start building so they can steal then the stupid buildings stay there and infest. So freaking tired of all you MSKNT. I guess it his time to thief. Auditor General waiting for you MSKNT.
R.L and S.D ??????????
The Purcell Fisheries complex was inefficient, avoided by the fishers and customers. Thankfully it was destroyed by Irma so a replacement is not needed.
The only public agriculture is in the Paraquita valley and there are plenty of buildings there to support public agriculture so no new buildings are needed.
Private local agriculture is flourishing in the BVI despite the Dept. of Agriculture so why do we need a Dept of Agriculture?
Over two years to construct a 95 thousand dollar facility are the contractors gonna be working for free this don’t sound right.
Is for Architectural (and hopefully engineering) services. Don’t know if this includes Project Management but for the sun it should be inclusive of ALL design and PM fees for the duration of the project.
It is amazing that Central Government does these projects without any business case studies done and/or public consultation (be it write in and/ir meetings).
What is the overall budgeted cost to construct, outfit and staff this entity? What are the annual operating costs and maintenance budgets? I got many, many more questions and doubtful there are answers. Maybe the F&F ‘grant’stimuls’ grab could have funded this project?
The contract is for design & supervision, the estimation of construction costs will be revealed presumably by management with an agreed design . Milk the cow slowly.
A contract was signed for design and management. This is all smokes, mirrors and delay tactics because there is no real plan for agriculture. Moving right along………….
The Government are simply ticking the boxes based on the vote of no confidence list so that once the debate starts, they can say “these are being handled..”
Well considering that the vendor shacks at Pier Park cost about $ 45k each, I wouldn’t expect much for the money they’re about to spend, thus begging why it’s being done in the first place, besides a sweetheart deal for someone well connected. Same old same old
Which family member of the current government owns “Trojan Design and Development Ltd” and what exactly does $95,200.00USD of taxpayer money actually buy us???
Don’t know about family member but it is owned or part owned by a former VIP unsuccessful election candidate.
Was this design job advertised?
I have no idea.
I saw no request for proposals of interest or that the RDA was looking for architects to short list and send the tender to.
Maybe they went to three as per the COI. Remember also that they “do not have to accept the lowest or any tender”. In other words, at the end of the day they can choose who they want.
I can report with confidence that at least 85% of the personnel in Agriculture and Fisheries sector do not agree with this project nor do we have any need for it !! Our current market conditions : MORE DEMAND THAN SUPPLY do not require a Govt operated facility to Process or Market our produce. Most Fish caught in the BVI are sold before the Fishermen reach the shore and the majority of our minuscule farm produce goes straight to Farmers families and friends or gets bought up by discerning individuals and tourism operations who appreciate the value of local organic food.
We are living in dystopian times… so we must expect tragic disconnects like this. However it is sad, embarrassing and aggravating – not to mention revealing (!) to see valuable tax payers money being spent on ‘white elephant’ capital projects that could well be used to train the youth and offer support to existing farmers and fishermen in contemporary techniques to increase productivity.
You cho0se to cater to the desires of the drug lords in your District 1,as you enable the rampant destruction of the properties of the helplesselderly, those least able to fend and protect thenselves,Permitting cattle to roam free with the accompanyjng destruction to homes and yards,fruit and vegetable,their food source of the unsuspecting and preferably elderly and infirm of your BVIslander neighbors as you cater to the wants and irresponsible behaviour of the loose and fancy free youths,parents with no good intentions past and present whose illicit cargo unloads on your within eye view shores with your wink and a blind eye, How do you sleep at night and climb on a podium uttering the Bible Scriptures.
The landless with roaming cattle ,the thieves who have been enabled with thousands of tax payers money’s towards their invisible farm and or fisheries their victims are the elderly disabled pensioners whose homes and property,gardens, food source trampled and dismantled by the cattle of the deceitful thieving landless ” farmers”, recipients of non-eligible and large sums of Government grants for their nonexistent farms and with full
knowledge of the local elected
and demonstrably supportive and enabling reprehensible District 1
Representative.
representative.
The landless with roaming cattle ,the thieves who have been enabled with thousands of tax payers money’s towards their invisible farm and or fisheries their victims are the elderly disabled pensioners whose homes and property,gardens, food source trampled and dismantled by the cattle of the deceitful thieving landless ” farmers”, recipients of non-eligible and large sums of Government grants for their nonexistent farms and with full
knowledge of the local elected
and demonstrably supportive and enabling reprehensible District 1
Representative.
My heart goes out to the victims of this ongoing injustice.
No doubt this will be another project which fails to incorporate renewable energy, underground utility supply, proper landscaping and parking provision. Will the building be built with hurricane strength windows and doors? Will toilets and access be built with disabled access? Will this be yet another over priced tin shack on a concrete slab. This one sounds expensive so buckle up for a $3 million+ construction budget.