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New marketplace plan seen to revive Tinian agriculture sector
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Posted on Jul 07 2008
A bid by Tinian’s mayor to establish a new marketplace for farmers and ranchers could revive the island’s once prosperous agriculture sector if government officials agree to fund it.
Board members of the Marianas Public Land Trust, the government agency tasked with managing leases on public land, held a public hearing on Tinian yesterday to hear Mayor Jose San Nicolas and his staff present the plan. Details on the proposal were scarce at press time as several sources in the MPLT and the Tinian mayor’s office refused to discuss it, saying further information would be available Tuesday.
However, a confidential government source says the mayor has asked MPLT for $1.3 to $1.4 million in loans to start the new marketplace, where local farmers and ranchers could sell fruits, vegetable and meats. According to the source, government revenue generated by the operation of a casino on the island would fund repayment of the loan.
“Tinian used to be the biggest producer of fruits and vegetables in this area,” the source said, adding that a revival of the island’s agricultural industry could give a significant boost the to local economy. “Agriculture is part of the roots of Tinian. If that can be jumpstarted again, it’ll be something that comes from the land and from hard work that is going to provide a stable market in the economy.”
The project may include a “mobile slaughterhouse” that could give ranchers a federal approval for the beef they bring to sell at the market, the source said.
One key aspect of the plan is its inclusion of so-called “value added” sales, a concept that could increase the market’s profits, the source added.
Generally, value added sales involve marketing products for use in the manufacturing of other goods. In the case of the proposed market, the source noted that watermelons grown on Tinian, for example, could be sold to producers of candy or fruit juice.
