Agriculture

Caribbean Sub-regional Director of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul says Caribbean nations should seriously consider restricting the importation of certain foods once they are in a position to produce healthier substitutes. “I don’t think so at all. It’s high time. What we are waiting on is the information and we have to have a regular supply ...

The Caribbean Week of Agriculture, an annual forum of technical experts and farmers organisations, could soon become a marketplace for the private sector in the region’s quest to boost food production and reduce its annual food import and health care bills. Secretary General of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom), Irwin La Rocque on Wednesday issued the call in an address ...

As the demand across the Caribbean grows for bottled coconut water, the Executive Director of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Barton Clarke says the major challenge would be sufficient planting material. “The major constraint is going to be adequate amount of appropriate planting material given that we have to treat with three or four major international pests and ...

The Port Manager of the Antigua Port, Darwin Telemaque on Tuesday recommended that Trinidad become a regional shipping hub to help bring down transportation costs and reduce reliance on Miami. “If you start thinking about what’s Miami… Trinidad has more potential than Miami because they make things. Miami does nothing. They just receive things and distribute so we have an ...

Director of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Michael Hailu says that ACP-EU organisation is moving to expand the marketing of agricultural produce and products to several other Caribbean countries. “One of our projects, in partnership with the Caribbean Farmers Network and the Sandals Foundation, is working to strengthen linkages to domestic, regional and export markets in ...

The 14th edition of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), widely recognised as the most important event in the region’s agricultural calendar, opens on Monday in the Cayman Islands. Taking the theme Investing in Food and Agriculture in the Caribbean, the event is being organised from October 24 to 28 and is expected to attract several hundred farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, policy-makers, ...

President David Granger agrees that Guyanese should use more cassava and other gluten-free flours because they are healthier but he forecasts that his administration will face political resistance if there is no broad agreement. “I think at this stage we probably need to develop a more consensual approach,” he said during an interactive session with Guyana’s newly appointed ambassadors at ...

Former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo has been appointed  A Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Special Ambassador for Forests and the Environment, that United Nations body announced at the weekend. FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva made the announcement on the final day of the 23rd session of the Organization’s Committee on Forestry (COFO) taking place in Rome. As special ambassador, ...

Guyana has dispatched poultry samples to the United States (US) to determine what type of disease is responsible for sudden poultry deaths in East Bank Berbice. According to Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Dr. Dwight Walrond, “samples which have been taken from the premises of one large scale farmer of broiler birds have already ...

Guyana and Dutch St. Maarten are exploring ways of establishing trade, mega farming, and  tourism between the two countries, according to top officials. Guyana’s Director General of Tourism, Donald Sinclair floated the idea at last weekend’s Guyana Independence Jubilee event held at Port de Plaisance, St. Maarten.  “What are you doing could be a possible model for our Guyanese in the ...