GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The third Caribbean Agri Investment Forum and Expo opened here on Friday with President Irfaan Ali announcing that the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) will be assisting in the conversion of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) into a Centre for Excellence in Agriculture.
“IICA and the government of Guyana have agreed that we will develop a center of excellence for our young people in the field of agriculture here in Guyana for across the region,” Ali told the opening ceremony, adding that the GSA would be transformed into the IICA-Guyana Centre of Excellence for studies in the field of agriculture with a focus on innovation and resilience.
He said that several Guyanese and other Caribbean youths would travel to IICA’s Costa Rica headquarters to be trained in innovation.
Over 200 exhibitors and over 80 agro-processors are showcasing their products during the three-day forum, and the Expo is being held under the theme “Achieving Vision 25 by 2025”.
The organizers said the event seeks to highlight discussions on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Region’s hefty food import bill and how countries can further collaborate to reduce it.
In his address, President Ali, who has lead responsibility for agriculture within the quasi-CARICOM cabinet, said IICA would also establish a system to provide real-time data to farmers across the Region.
“We will be setting up here in Guyana a situation room that will give real-time data. It will be the development of a CARICOM situation room that will give real-time data to our farmers to allow evidence-based decision-making and more proactive planning regarding our crop development and growing,” he said.
Ali said in Guyana, the focus would be on encouraging youth and women in intelligent, technology-driven agriculture. He said agriculture innovation centers would be launched in several regions over the next three days and funded to US$4.5 million from ExxonMobil’s Greater Guyana Initiative.
“This innovation center will be run and owned by young people, of which we want 35 percent to be women,” Ali said, announcing that Guyana is also moving towards establishing a hatching eggs facility in Guyana.
Deputy CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Amstrong Alexis told the ceremony that the event “ allows us to build on the successes of the previous expos held in Guyana and Trinidad, which set the stage for some remarkable achievements over the past year.
”These include increased cross-border investments; identification of possible agricultural insurance products for farmers; adoption of new and game-changing regional agricultural policies; increased budgetary allocation to the farm sector in almost every CARICOM member state and establishment of the Youth in Agriculture Advisory Council..”
Alexis said there has also been increased development partner support for CARICOM’s visionary initiative, which seeks to implement strategies to decrease the Region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025, with noticeable private sector partnership and increased farmer and producer engagements.
He said the Region is confident that this event will respond to the needs of the Caribbean while contributing to the transformation of the large-investment sector and remains hopeful that the forum and Expo will respond to the needs of the Caribbean while contributing to the transformation of the agri-investment sector.
“Given the high level of participation being experienced here today, I have every expectation of positive outcomes,” he said, describing regional farmers as “the often unsung heroes of agriculture.
“Through innovation and steely commitment, they continue to produce high-quality crops, despite the myriad of challenges they face, such as praedial larceny, various pests and disease outbreaks, and climate change.”
Alexis said the Region is also mindful of the CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on Food Production and Food Security and the transformative process it has fostered.
“Indeed, as we launch this third Expo today, we can affirm that the political will exists, and all stakeholders, including the private sector, remain committed.
“Despite our achievements so far, the imperative remains to transform our food systems fully. This is against the realities of the Region’s aging farmer population, the effects of climate change, technological advancements, a growing population, and the ongoing shift in demand for the type of food that the Region consumes. These are factors that we must continue to tackle head-on with all stakeholders. “
Alexis said there is also a need to consider the peculiarities that have long characterized the Region’s agricultural sector market. He said this includes market distortions, where, despite low farm-gate prices, the prices to the consumer are high.
“Also, from time to time, our regional producers must compete in a marketplace where their international competitors price their offerings below the cost of production. Our farmers often cannot match these prices or compete globally because of existing market-distorting subsidies.
“It is therefore critical that we continue exploring opportunities to move up the value chain and transition from being primary producers to food processors. This investment forum offers precisely this opportunity to our farmers and producers.”
Alexis said that the world’s food production needs to increase by 70 percent by 2050 “if we are to feed the expanding global population, and this presents a golden opportunity for our Region.
“Furthermore, it is imperative that, collectively, we confront not only the issue of the cost of a healthy diet but also the actual costs of unhealthy eating. On that score, we propose that an intervention to treat this issue be fast-tracked.
“As we meet during this investment forum … we must determine to leave here with firm investment decisions and conclusions that will positively contribute to the livelihoods of our Region and our people.
“Our record has been impressive over the past 24 months. We do not have the luxury of time as we transform the agriculture sector. We must keep the progress going.
Therefore, let us remain focused on reducing the Region’s growing food import bill and fostering food and nutrition security for the Caribbean Community. Let us continue our strenuous actions to optimize the growth and development of the regional agriculture sector and to leverage the sector to empower our women and young people,” he added.
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