Matters relating to safeguarding the food supply amidst the ongoing health crisis, was among issues addressed at a Regional Agriculture Ministers Meeting.
The Meeting was convened by this country’s Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar to discuss strategies to bolster agricultural activity, in a region that relies heavily on food imports and on tourism.
Thirteen Agriculture Ministers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago participated in a videoconference with the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero.
Actions that IICA will undertake with the Caribbean countries to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic will include facilitating direct dialogue with Ministers of Agriculture of all regions of the Americas.
The Ministers will share useful information for decision making related to food security, and providing online training in good agricultural and health practices for rural workers.
Mr. Otero pledged that IICA will work with the Caribbean countries to devise ambitious proposals to generate a new extension services strategy based on the use of online and mobile telephone systems.
Minister Caesar will also lead the efforts of the CARICOM Agrifood Sector to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic.
