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Curtain closes on CWA 2013
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) 2013 hosted in Guyana at the Guyana International Conference Center (GICC) Liliendaal came to a close with the Ministers of the Caribbean articulating the need for accelerated movement towards food security and nutrition.
Some of the Caribbean’s Agricultural Ministers who attended the seven day event which ended yesterday hosted a press conference at the GICC.
The closing session at CWA 2013
These included Agriculture Minister of Grenada, Roland Bhola, Dominica’s Mathew Walter and Guyana’s Leslie Ramsammy among others respectively.
The common concern in all the sentiments expressed by the respective Ministers was the issue of time lagging, citing that regional progress towards agricultural sustainability has been slowed significantly. However this has been somewhat rectified with the holding of the recent CWA, according to the officials. They added that concerns pertaining to food security, trade facilitation, transportation and safe handling of food was addressed resulting in them being re-energized in their approach of accelerating agricultural growth within the Caribbean.
Matthew Walter, Agriculture Minister of Dominica spoke to the need for governments which have signed on to the Jagdeo Initiative to put agricultural development on the front burner failing which the respective societies will be plagued by social and economic ills.
He cited the need for greater sanitary standards to be met, calling for a body to be in place to identify and ensure that the quality and standard of the products being exported are of the requisite quality for international markets.
Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy speaking to the CWA said that the region is doing an injustice to themselves with the high levels of foods that are imported for consumption.
He cited the need for import substitution, more particularly for wheat, noting that the region imports over $200M worth of these two products. He posited the need to reduce the amount of flour imported by substituting this with other products that can be grown locally. The example of cassava was provided.
Throughout the week- long seminar, cassava was proposed as a substitute for wheat in the use of desserts.
Dr. Ramsammy lauded the fact that this forum has brought the Agriculture Ministers together. He related that he felt privileged to host CWA 2013 and reiterated that his vision is to achieve the end of hunger.
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