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So with sugar still volatile, bananas in decline, and citrus facing a flatline, is Minister Mai worried about what his legacy will be?
Despite many of the issues being caused by exogenous factors as well as historical neglect, the fact is that he's the one presiding over the ministry in an era of sharp and sustained decline. But while he says he's concerned, he hasn't stopped working to find solutions.
Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"What is happening at this time is very worrying to me because of the fall in production. We all know it's not my fault but I'm the Minister of Agriculture so I need to do something to bring it back and everyday I go to bed, I think in my mind what we can do to bring back these industries. I believe that there are long term solution but we need to implement them now. Citrus, when I was in opposition I used to read about it every time in House of Representatives, citrus is going down, nothing is being done, we have done a lot but you know when you're in power now and so much damage has been done over the years, you don't see the effects immediately and as we speak right now, I have people working in the field to see how best we can bring back citrus. Some are saying citrus is dead, I will not believe it's dead, we can still salvage some but I believe the time has come for us to think about diversifying the base in the south."
