~~When he returned from his four-day trip to the agro-industrial super city of Changsha in south-central China in October last year, Chairman of the Clarendon Parish Council, His Worship the Mayor Cllr. Scean Barnswell was eager to share the big ideas he had come back with on how Clarendon could capitalise on the burgeoning agro-tourism industry.
While in Changsha, the Mayor toured farms, rice paddies, agro-processing plants and green spaces and saw first-hand how the city used its agricultural industry and products as its main tourist attractions.
Mayor Barnswell says he does not see why Clarendon too should not be able to successfully pursue a similar agriculture-based tourism model since the parish already has all the trappings of a successful agro-tourism destination.
He pointed to the world-renowned Milk River Bath; the Bull Head Mountains; the parish’s north-western vegetable-planting belt and historic sugar plantation and rum distillery as main draws.
“...We can start to deal with cottage industry, get tour guides, transportation, rest stops, persons displaying their different craft items, cuisine, different kind of food,” the Mayor explained, “So we can be able to do it. We can be able to plan something.”
Cllr. Barnswell marvelled at the very simple thinking from which Changsha’s fledgling agro-tourism sector germinated,
“As one of the persons said there,” he recalled, “Kids want to know where milk comes from or eggs come from, not from the microwave or computer, but literally from a cow and a hen...”
The Mayor was however careful to point out that Changsha’s world-class agricultural parks and farms including its hi-tech green houses and space-saving Styrofoam farming techniques are not the highlight of its agro-tourism success. But its success as a business model relates more so to the city’s orderly development and buy-in from its citizens.
He explained that in Changsha there is a clear distinction between lands designated for agricultural and commercial use; the city’s infrastructure is good; buildings are well maintained and the streets are always clean.He suggests that these are key principles Clarendon would have to adopt if we are to realise a successful agro-tourism industry.
Mayor Barnswell is completely sold on the agro-tourism concept and embraces it especially for the community-led development model it espouses. He says the idea has been fittingly introduced at the local government level.
“ ... We are the heartbeat of communities and as this year’s theme make mention about ‘A prosperous economy starts with my community’ ... it’s about empowering men and women especially our youths in today’s society but you can empower them with whatever little they have within their own local community. I think we need to start looking at that and stop looking at the big project which tends to take forever to happen...”