by Emmanuel H. Joseph
Government Information Service
Agriculture Ministers of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are poised to revitalize agriculture across the sub region in a quest to lower food prices. The OECS Agriculture Ministers convened a meeting in St. Kitts from May 31 to June 1, 2010.
The meeting discussed ways to focus on the growth and development of agriculture within the OECS Economic Union.
 Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry of Agriculture,
Samuel Carrette
At a media briefing on Monday, June 06, 2010 Permanent Secretary Samuel Carrette explained some of the areas in moving agriculture forward.
“It is believed that the transformation of our economies and the integration of our economies in the OECS sub region have a very significant place to our agriculture given the fact that we are already trading heavily among ourselves in terms of agriculture. Dominica exports quite a bit of agricultural items to St. Kitts, Antigua, Nevis and the other OECS countries. Therefore, the agricultural train has already started the process of economic integration. Consequently, the Ministers of the OECS government believe that what is being done within the context of the OECS Agricultural Policy Framework and Strategic Plan is very significant and the countries were complemented at the meeting for the role that they are playing in bringing life and ensuring that the plan of the OECS Agricultural Development Plan is being implemented.”
At the OECS Agriculture Ministers Meeting, there were presentations and discussions on several key areas. Among them were the:
- FAO/OECS Tourism Project
- Study to determine the feasibility of profitable shipping services in the OECS
- Design implementation and funding of OECS Agriculture Programmes and tourism linkages.
According to the Agricultural Minister, a number of decisions were taken from the discussions in which the OECS Agriculture Ministers mandated the OECS Secretariat to develop programmes and to formulate projects for funding.
“Decisions were taken at this forum and ministers mandated the OECS Secretariat to further develop the proposed new programme priorities for OECS agriculture, paying special attention to:
- Identify a set of agricultural products in which the OECS region has a competitive production and trading advantage.
- Identifying and targeting appropriate private sector operators including financial institutions for the establishment of partnerships.
- Reducing the high costs of agricultural inputs in particular, fertiliser and animal feeds through joint procurement.
- Risk management including introducing and strengthening insurance arrangement for crops, livestock and fisheries.
- The need to put measures in place to ensure preservation of environmental integrity.
The Ministers mandated the OECS Secretariat to formulate regional projects for submission under the Aid for Trade initiative to support implementation of the proposed new agricultural programme priorities. The ministers agreed to designate an area within their respective ministries of agriculture to actively collaborate with the OECS Secretariat in the further elaboration and implementation of the proposed new agricultural programme priorities.”
 Hon. Minister for Agriculture
and Forestry, Matthew Walter
The Agricultural Minister also said that the OECS has decided to develop a quality of seal for goods and services produced within various agriculture- tourism value chains in the sub region. This will be done on a phased basis over a period of five years.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Hon. Matthew Walter told a media briefing on Monday 7th, June, 2010 that the processes established by the Caribbean regional organization for standards and quality will be used as the framework for the harmonization of standards required for the implementation of the quality seal.
“The Ministers agreed that harmonisation of standards pertinent to the establishment of an OECS quality seal will first be considered for food products for which standards are already developed and for neutracerticals as a pilot project and then extended to non-food products and services. The Ministers agreed to implement the quality seal on a phased basis over a period of five (5) years and pursuant to that approach, seek to provide potentially qualifying farmers and SME’s with support to bring them to the level of quality commensurate with quality seal certification. The Ministers agreed to expand existing national agriculture tourism linkages committees or establish those committees where they do not already exist to serve as technical working groups to support implementation of the OECS quality seal coupling representatives and resource persons.”
Dominica was represented at the May 31st to June 1st Meeting in St. Kitts by the Hon. Matthew Walter, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Samuel Carrette and Tourism Consultant, Mr. Sobers Esprit. |
