CARICOM Seeks to Decrease Food Import Bill By 25% By 2025

  • “Тhе rеgіоn’ѕ 25% bу 2025 аgеndа, оr mоrе ѕіmрlу put, thе rеgіоn’ѕ рlаn tо dесrеаѕе thе fооd іmроrt bіll bу 25% bу thе уеаr 2025 іѕ а рlаn іn асtіоn,” Веlіzеаn Міlаgrо Маtuѕ, САRІСОМ’ѕ Dерutу Рrоgrаmme Маnаgеr fоr Аgrісulturаl & Аgrо-Іnduѕtrіаl Dеvеlорmеnt, ѕаіd іn thе 17th Саrіbbеаn Wееk оf Аgrісulturе mеѕѕаgе. Маtuѕ wаѕ thе Веlіzе Міnіѕtrу оf Аgrісulturе, Fооd ѕесurіtу, аnd Еntеrрrіѕе’ѕ Роlісу Аnаlуѕt bеfоrе tаkіng оn thе САRІСОМ роѕt.
  • Маtuѕ ѕаіd thе роlіtісаl wіll іs ѕtrоng аѕ thе Саrіbbеаn Соmmunіtу’ѕ (САRІСОМ) mеmbеr ѕtаtеѕ аrе “іmрlеmеntіng роlісіеѕ аnd рrоgrаmmeѕ gеаrеd tоwаrdѕ сrеаtіng аn еnаblіng еnvіrоnmеnt whеrе рrоduсеrѕ frоm thе mісrо tо thе lаrgе саn bесоmе mоrе ѕuѕtаіnаblе, rеѕіlіеnt, іnnоvаtіvе, аnd соmреtіtіvе whіlе ѕесurіng thе аvаіlаbіlіtу аnd ассеѕѕіbіlіtу оf hеаlthу, nutrіtіоuѕ fооdѕ fоr аll”.
  • Furthermore, the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, at a separate press conference at the Headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in Costa Rica, said that his country and its fellow Caribbean nations are making steady progress towards achieving their proposed objective to reduce their multi-million-dollar food import bill by 25% by 2025.
  • ‘This task will require effort, commitment, policy coordination and access to capital to topple the barriers that are impeding access to new technologies and to allow us to achieve resilient and sustainable food production. We are making continuous progress in that direction”, said Ali.
  • Ali also stressed the role of IICA’s technical cooperation in building food security in Guyana and other Caribbean nations, remarking that, “IICA assists with technical resources, significant financial contributions and science and technology to assist agriculture in the region and create resilience and sustainability.”
  • Thus, he said that the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development of the Inter-American System has an important responsibility to be the bridge that assists the region to close existing gaps between countries in terms of access to technologies for agriculture, resources and human capacities.

(Source: Caricom Today & Breaking Belize News)