Claude Browne, host of Everything Agriculture on ZJB Radio, says Montserrat must return to eating local foods, take agriculture seriously, and guide young people into fields that secure the island’s future.
The weekly programme on September 2, produced by the Montserrat Farmers Association, opened with Browne’s reminder that, “No matter what happens and what the circumstances are, there is one undeniable fact. That is the human race cannot survive without food. Real food can only be produced through one means and that is agriculture. And no manner of defined farming or defined farmers can change this reality. Agriculture is a noble profession and agricultural and noble people.”
Browne linked his call to the season, noting that children are just back to school and many families are considering career choices. Drawing on a recent American study, he said, “It has found that some majors like computer science which have historically led to high paying careers have some of the highest unemployment rates.”
Citing data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, he added, “The majors with the highest unemployment rates [are] anthropology, which is at 9.4%, physics, which is 7.8%, computer engineering 7.5%, commercial art and graphic design 7.2% and finance 7%. On the other hand, the lowest unemployment rates are people whose majors were nutrition science, 0.4%, construction, 0.7% and anyone that special education, civil engineering, animal sciences and plant sciences had an unemployment rate of 1%.”
He argued that, “Despite how we have been socialized and brainwashed, agriculture is indispensable. Animal sciences, plant sciences are in demand. Even though it may not look as a sexy job as some people love to see, not easy work, it is necessary work, and it is work… that will always be because we always have to live.”
Browne warned that Montserrat cannot isolate itself from global developments. Referring to the recent firing of the CDC director in the United States, he noted, “Among those [who resigned is] one very important person to agriculture, the head of the National Center of Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases… don’t forget COVID-19 is a zoo disease. Yes, it might have come from a bat, but it affected us seriously.”
He stressed that biosecurity must be taken seriously in both plants and animals, saying, “We cannot allow anything that can spread to us and affect our health to come in. So let us look at using our local meats more.”
On the island’s eating habits, Browne was blunt: “Why do we need to have imported cuts of meat? We need to eat what we have locally. Let us look at eating the chickens, which are causing problems in terms of the crop producers. Chickens are a major pest. If we eat our local chickens, they would not grow these numbers to be a major pest.”
Browne called for better management of the island’s abattoir and proper health inspections of local meat, noting, “We must also make sure that it is run properly and utilised properly. All meats should be inspected by the health authorities… we need to ensure and hold our own people responsible for making sure that investment we made in our people is being fully utilised.”
The programme also highlighted the availability of local produce. “In the local market, you can get plantain, bananas, lettuce, spinach, kale, cucumber, pumpkin, sweet potato, lots of avocado, and of course, local eggs are being produced.”
For farmers, Browne reminded listeners that supplies are available through the Montserrat Farmers Association outlet: “We have a wide variety of seeds, we have a range of pesticides, fertiliser, we have shade net, bird net, mulch, protein mix, rat bait, repellent and rooting hormones. You can get [these] at the Farmers Association outlet on Tuesdays and Thursdays between ten and twelve at the Montserrat Farmers Association outlet in St. Peters. In the next few [weeks] we will be opening back on Saturdays. But for right now, just on Tuesdays and Thursdays between ten and twelve.”
Browne closed with a message for parents: “Our health is our wealth. And in order to have proper health, we need to have proper nutrition and agriculture is the means to make sure we have proper nutrition. For our young people, we need you to socialise them to make sure that let’s start eating our local foods again. The nutrition can help you with some of the recipes… but the onus is on the parents to teach their children and to start feeding their children on our local foods, and especially our local meats.”
Listen to the full show here: Tuesday September 2, 2025 “Everything Agriculture” with Host Claude Browne | Montserrat Radio Echo
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