CSE MP Sees 2023 as A Big YEAr for Eleuthera

In an interview, following the ringing in of the new year during the first week in January 2023, the Hon. Clay Sweeting, member of parliament (MP) for Central and South Eleuthera (CSE), and minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, shared some of his goals and priorities during the next twelve months and several updates on initiatives and challenges in 2022. “My message to Eleuthera is that 2023 is a big year for us. The work that has been done as a government and as a member of parliament over the past year and a half - the ground work - the fruits of the labour, we hope to be shown during this next year,” he began.

CSE MP the Hon. Clay Sweeting stands with the Hon. Zane Lightbourne and Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, as they view the start of construction on homes within the Ministry of Housing and Transport’s new Ocean Hole Subdivision in Rock Sound, South Eleuthera, early in December 2022.

Shedding light on where his priorities will focus, Mr. Sweeting stated, “On Eleuthera, for me it is to ensure that all the necessary services for the people in Eleuthera are streamlined and are sustainable and something that is reliable, especially for utilities - which includes roads, electricity, and potable water. Also, to continue to expand on the work that we have done to complete the housing projects and to continue to build homes in Eleuthera.”

He added, “To expand on the agricultural side of it - the cultivation center [slated for Hatchet Bay], is where we hope to also do greenhouse parks through BAMSI, which includes training and facilitation - to get young farmers involved. The containerized farm [which the Ministry of Agriculture is purchasing] should be placed in Eleuthera as well, which should help to also spark interest with young farmers - with regards to vertical farming. It will help to show farmers what you can do. They will have access to the location - to do some training and facilitation. This is how we tie in the cultivation center to an agricultural park where you have access to this different technology and innovation, and you have the food kitchen there, along with large greenhouses. So, farmers will have access to these large facilities.”

Commenting briefly on future projects, which he was cautious about preempting, Mr. Sweeting revealed, “We have some projects that are in the pipeline for this year, that have not been announced as yet. I think I may have preempted it a little bit in a video that we did with the Ministry of Agriculture in regards to chicken and poultry... That is going to be an exciting project... My opinion is that every chicken that we eat in this country should come from a Bahamian farmer - and especially eggs, with the price of eggs. So, we’ve got some revolutionary plans in regards to that.”

In summary of the status of several ongoing projects, CSE MP Sweeting shared, “Windermere Island has started their construction, and has put some people to work - Disney as well. Disney should be completed by 2025. They are moving at a rapid pace. They are doing pretty well there. At Cotton Bay they are supposed to be finalizing architectural rendings... We also P35