Private sector must fill Caribbean food gaps, says Green

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green says greater private sector involvement will be critical to helping the Caribbean reduce its dependence on food imports and achieve a 25 per cent reduction in the regional food import bill by 2030.

Green said Caribbean governments have been identifying areas in which individual countries have competitive advantages, while engaging businesses to invest in production and help fill gaps in the regional food market.

“We have decided as a grouping that different islands will focus on different areas,” Green said during a plenary session at the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on Wednesday.

He said Jamaica is concentrating on roots and tubers, including yam, sweet potato and Irish potato, while Guyana is focusing on commodities such as rice and corn and exploring opportunities in sorghum.

Green said governments are also presenting the private sector with specific market opportunities, including information on the volume of imports for particular commodities.

“These are the demand opportunities. This is the amount of imports we see per island on this, and we want you to fill that gap,” he said.

Green said private sector partners are already responding to the opportunities, while regional cooperation is also being strengthened in poultry and egg production.

The minister said the region has the capacity to become self-sufficient in poultry, reducing its reliance on extra-regional imports.

- Albert Ferguson

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