(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Thirty-Second Special Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Agriculture opens on Friday 18 September, 2009 at the Le Meridien Pegasus, Georgetown, Guyana.

COTED Officials began their meeting from Wednesday September 16, 2009 at the same location.

High on the agenda are considerations for the establishment of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) and actions resulting from the Liliendaal Declaration on Agriculture adopted by the Heads of Government at their regular meeting in July 2009, Georgetown, Guyana. The Declaration reaffirmed the Community’s commitment to removing the key binding constraints to the development of the sector, which are identified in the Jagdeo Initiative.

Further, discussions will be held on a cluster of items under the broad item, Agricultural Trade Facilitation, with specific reference to, Agricultural Health, Food Safety Systems and Infrastructure. Under Agricultural Trade Facilitation the COTED will further examine issues pertaining to Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Risk Assessment. They will also seek to evaluate pathways for Exotic Plant Pest Movement into and within the Greater Caribbean Region.

Among the other matters on the agenda are to considerations of priority commodities for focus on agriculture interventions; the Regional Biotechnology Policy and Strategy, as well as issues pertaining to Agricultural Policy and Planning Framework.

Discussions will be held on the follow-up to the Public-Private Sector Consultations on Agri-Business - a two-day Consultation held in Georgetown, Guyana on 27-28 May 2009 to enhance the framework for the development of Agribusiness in the Region.