GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman, (Kenton Chance) – The head of Jamaica’s largest farmers association says the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) can draw on his country’s experience as the region continues to battle with its US$5 billion annual food import bills.
CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque (3rd left) joined the Premier of the Cayman Islands Hon. Alden McLaughlin (2nd right) on a tour of the CARDI (Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute) Research field on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Tuesday. They were accompanied by Cayman Islands Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sport Mr. Ossie Bodden (2nd left) and CARDI officials.
Technical officials in the agriculture sector on Tuesday morning began preparatory discussions ahead of the Special Ministerial Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in the Cayman Islands on Friday.
The Ministerial Meeting is one of the key events of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) now underway in Grand Cayman under the theme ‘Investing in Food and Agriculture’.
Agriculture requires investment for the sector to flourish and be sustained, and policy-makers must create the environment which is attractive to investors. Policies and programmes that facilitate ongoing development, stimulate economic growth within the Region and promote food security also have to be put in place as a priority.
More than fifteen public sector representatives in Guyana are now more empowered to address issues related to competition law and policy, as a result of training received at a CARIFORUM-EU workshop held from 17 -21 October 2016, in Georgetown.
The workshop on competition law and policy was designed to increase knowledge and awareness and to build the intuitional capacity of agencies to implement the CARIFORIM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
National consultations that are expected to help shape the Region’s education and human resources continued in Saint Lucia on Monday. The CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with the Human Resource Development Commission, embarked on these consultations which will be crucial to molding the Region’s youth and future employees.
Employers and workers organizations as well as other labour-related entities across the region are to become more aware of the free movement provisions of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This is due to a series of free movement sensitization sessions by the CARICOM Secretariat which began earlier this year. The latest activity is set for Dominica and will take place from Monday October 24 to Tuesday, October 25 at the Fort Young Hotel. This initiative is being facilitated under the 10th European Development Fund CSME and Economic Integration Programme.
By Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
I am pleased to provide a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) perspective for the 2016 Youth Development Index, which is an important resource for youth stakeholders across the globe.
The Regional Institution set up to provide rapid cash flow support to Member States after major natural disasters has paid almost 30 million US dollars to four countries affected by the recent passage of the destructive hurricane Matthew.