Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
EU-funded programme boosting agri producers to kick off next month
The European Union (EU)-funded Agricultural Policy Programme (APP) from which Guyana and 14 other Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) countries will benefit, was officially launched in Trinidad last week.
Dr. Arlington Chesney, Executive Director, Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) signs the “Partnership Agreements” between IICA and the implementing partners.
The APP aims at boosting agriculture in CARIFORUM countries through the development of small holder agricultural producers and entrepreneurs.
The APP is being funded by the EU with a grant of 8.6M Euros.
The EU grant is expected to contribute to improved policies and incentive regimes and strengthened institutional and development capacity to support productivity and profitability of the region’s small, agri-based producers/entrepreneurs. This in turn is expected to also contribute to the wider development goal of household food security in the CARIFORUM countries and the eradication of poverty
The countries which will benefit include Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas; Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
The end beneficiaries are, among others, small farmers, fisher-folk, small-scale processors and traders, including organised associations and networks and women and youth.
The launch followed the signing of partnership agreements between the executing agency, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) and its partners the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the CARICOM Secretariat.
Project Manager of the Intra-ACP APP project, Robert Best, disclosed that the signing of the partnership agreements will allow the transfer of funds to the CARICOM Secretariat and CARDI so that they can begin their technical activities for the APP project.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, George Jervis, is Guyana’s representative on the steering committee which will provide oversight and governance for the project.
The projects to be rolled out over the next four years are expected to begin next month.
The contract between the EU and the IICA for the execution of the APP project was signed in Georgetown in March last year.
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