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Jun 21, 2022 News
Kaieteur News – Guyana is among three Caribbean countries that produces more than 50 percent of its own food. This was highlighted during the featured address of Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) at the Opening Ceremony of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of CDB last week.
Leon stated that the CDB’s focus for 2022 to 2023 will be on advancing food and nutrition security, energy security and water security in the region. “I think you will all agree these are three key securities that the region cannot afford not to address over the year and long term,” he added.
Dr. Leon stated that for decades, the Caribbean has been over reliant on food imports. In making further sentiments, the CDB president noted that the World Banks has estimates that between 80 and 90 percent of all food consumed in the Region comes from abroad, with only three Caribbean countries, Guyana, Belize and Haiti, produce more than 50% of their own food.
To this end, he noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities across the board including in employment, housing, health care and food security.
“It is estimated that there is now 2.7 million food insecure people on the English speaking Caribbean and according to the third round of the CARICOM COVID-19 Food Security and Livelihood surveys 71 percent of the respondents observed higher than usual food prices,” Dr. Leon stated.
The CBD president added that as a Region, the heads of state must focus on building a modern, competitive, inclusive and resilient agricultural sector in which food and nutrition security have primacy of place and the potential for wealth creation as an attraction to young agripreneurs.
Giving reference to the recently completed Agri-Investment Forum that was held in Guyana, Dr. Leon stated that at the event, CARICOM leaders expressed grave concern about food shortages, high prices of imported food, fertilizer, other agricultural inputs and the limited options for transportation of agricultural products within the region.
“They have stressed the need for urgent actions to take forward the vision for agricultural development championed by President Irfaan Ali of Guyana. That targets a reduction in the food import bill by 25 percent by 2025,” he underscored.
In making further comments, he stated that he believes that 25 percent by 2025 is not enough, and that it should be doubled to 50 percent no later than 2030. He then asked Guyana’s Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who was present at the event to relate his message to President Ali.
Reducing the Caribbean food import bill is on the top agenda for the Regional Leaders.
In fact, President Ali is leading the charge in that area as Guyana currently holds the lead responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification, and food security in CARICOM and is spearheading the regional body’s quest to reduce its US$5 billion food import bill.
Ali has been emphasising the importance of CARICOM Member States making broad commitments to achieve the target of reducing food imports by 25 percent by 2025.
The president is reported in the media as saying, “It is either we are serious about this or we are not serious about this—we have to decide. This is not an individual country trying to achieve something. This is us as a collective. This is about us being successful together… We cannot advance this if the commitment and full participation are not there.”
The President had noted too that the intention is to be able to lead an effort to mobilise technical help and financial resources and to work with the Member States in achieving the target.
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