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Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has called on the private sector to become more involved in the distribution of local food production throughout the Caribbean region.
Dr. Rowley called on the private sector “not to be resistant to these developments and these initiatives, but to be on board and to be the distributor of local produce rather than being a commission agent for imported products”.
The Prime Minister made the call during his address at the CARICOM Agri-Investment Forum & Expo II, which was hosted by Trinidad and Tobago at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain on Friday.
The theme of the event was “Transformation of Agriculture through Innovation and Investments”
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The Agro-Investment Forum & Expo II is part of an ongoing commitment implemented by CARICOM heads of government to reduce the region’s huge food import bill by 25% by 2025.
The President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Hon. Mia Mottley, President of the Republic of Suriname His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi and Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was among the regional heads of state present.
In his speech, Dr. Rowley said the model of relying solely on locally and regionally imported food needs to be replaced.
He said, “We are required to replace our supply from outside the region. To do so means that those who are comfortably and historically committed to supplying us from outside the region may face new conditions. The new conditions would be competition from what we are producing in the country.”
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Prime Minister Rowley also called on CARICOM leaders to “continue to strive to become self-sufficient in food if we are to protect ourselves from the promise of more difficult months and years ahead”.
Dr. Rowley welcomed the Agri-Forum and Expo held in Guyana and now in Trinidad and Tobago and said these events present “the best opportunity we have to engage in solving a problem that is big and dangerous.”
Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo, Acting President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Government Ministers, Regional Government Ministers and members of the Local and Regional Chambers of Business were present at the event.
SOURCE: Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago/SLT. Header photo: Dr. Keith Rowley (Image credit)
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