It was with deep regret that the staff of the CARICOM Secretariat and the wider Caribbean Community have learnt of the untimely passing of Mr. Charles P. Kennard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Rice Development Board.

Mr. Kennard's contribution to the rice industry is well-known throughout the Caribbean and further afield. Mr. Kennard was particularly valued for his professional and knowledgeable insights not only to the rice industry but also to crop agriculture generally. He made a major impact on the area of integrated pest management in the Caribbean rice industry.

Mr. Kennard has been a source of great assistance to the Caribbean Community in its efforts to promote the development of the rice industry. As a foundation member of the Caribbean Rice Association and of the Caribbean Rice Improvement Network, the Region - rice producers, millers, marketers, technocrats and policy makers all, will deeply miss him and his contribution.

On behalf of the staff of the Secretariat and on my own behalf, I wish to convey to his family, to the Guyana Rice Development Board, and to the Guyanese nation, the deepest sympathy of the people of the Caribbean Community and the staff of the Secretariat.