Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 22, 2021 (SKNIS): Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ron Dublin-Collins, showed his appreciation to farmers, fisherfolk, and agro-processors on April 21 during the virtual forum series ‘Leadership Matters’ hosted by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.
Mr. Dublin-Collins said, “I want to commend our farmers, our fishers, our agro-processors, for the tremendous work that they are doing to ensure that we can produce even at the level that we are at right now.”
“For those who are partnering with the Ministry and Department to improve production, we understand that the challenges are many; we have begun the process of addressing them,” he said. “We assure you that we will continue to work with you to address these challenges.”
“We see the realities of what is happening on the farm as we visit farm to farm and we realize the challenges with pests and every other area,” said Mr. Dublin-Collins.
“The Ministry assures you we will continue to raise our standard in terms of our service to you and for you with our extension services and the other inputs where the government can cushion the cost to make it easier for you,” he said.
“The work that you do is tremendous and there is no doubt about it. Officials who go out on the sea so often and risk their lives to ensure that we get fresh fish,” he said.
“From the reports that we received from our own lab here in terms of testing our foods, our food is safe, and it is of a high quality and we want to encourage people to support local,” said the permanent secretary.
“I want to commend all of you and to advise that we continue in this process of reform,” he said. “We believe together we can reform the agricultural sector and change the realities with our import bill and strengthen the financial position of our farmers, our fishers, and our agro-processors.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 21, 2021 (SKNIS): Ron Dublin-Collins, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, said that the time has come for the agriculture sector in St. Kitts and Nevis to be enhanced and transformed into a more competitive and efficient industry.
“For us, this is a time of enhancement, a dispensation of transformation and an era of reform. We have embarked on a policy response that will comprise of increasing local production while concurrently reducing the importation of crop and livestock products,” said Mr. Dublin-Collins on the April 20 edition of Leadership Matters. “The COVID-19 crisis for us has stimulated a high degree of urgency and greatly fueled our focus to the need to enhance and transform our food agricultural system so as to achieve a greater degree of food self-reliance and reduce the food import bill…”
PS Dublin-Collins said that technology in farming can play a great role in adding value to the sector, as well as improving the Federation’s food security.
“Our vision speaks to the fact and to the view that our agriculture sector can be technologically driven, competitive, and market-oriented, and can contribute meaningfully to national development,” said the permanent secretary. “In light of our many realities, we have embraced a new vision for the agricultural sector and this vision sets out to enhance the agricultural sector so as to increase the production of food and to improve food security.”
Mr. Dublin-Collins noted that the ministry continues to work closely with stakeholders to generate growth within the industry.
“Over the last nine months, we have partnered with our stakeholders and we have strengthened our efforts to ensure that we stimulate greater economic growth in the agricultural sector through the development of a well-coordinated planning, and the implementation framework that is interactive and effective and involves the full participation of all stakeholders,” he said.
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, April 21, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — While production of sugar on a commercial basis ceased in St. Kitts in 2005 to provide greater opportunities for expansion in non-sugar agriculture, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris is pointing out the Covid-19 experience has solidified the realisation that the country needs to produce more of what people consume.
“Agriculture has seen a budding revival over the last several years,” said Prime Minister Harris. “The onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic has reminded us of the very important need to be able to feed ourselves.”
The Honourable Prime Minister made the remarks on Tuesday April 20 when he appeared on the popular Leadership Matters on ZIZ Television with four other panellists, where the topic of discussion was ‘agriculture and food security’, which he said was one of most important considerations for the country at this time.
Panellists with Prime Minister Harris on Leadership Matters were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture et al, Mr Ron Collins; Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Tracy Challenger-Clarke; Technical Specialist, St. Kitts and Nevis IICA Delegation, Ms Sharon Jones; and a longstanding farmer, Mr Winston Morris.
According to the Prime Minister, the Covid-19 experience solidified the realisation that the country needs to produce more of what it consumes. After the Government became cognisant of the fears of the people it responded to protect the population against supply chain being negatively affected by ensuring that it systematically diversified source markets for food including poultry, meat and fish while it aggressively worked to near self-sufficiency in those staples.
“This is why as part of the stimulus package my Government allocated ten million dollars to boost agriculture and agricultural production,” said Dr Harris. “Building on the commitment made to expand our agricultural base, we in our 2021 budget, allocated $5 million to continue the stimulus programme for the agriculture sector.”
The concessions the Team Unity Administration delivered to the sector are bearing fruit as there has seen increased production, and interest in crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries. He pointed out that fisheries output recorded a 3.6 percent increase in 2020 after an 83 percent reduction in output in April 2020, which was a direct consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated curfews and lockdowns, which brought fisheries to a standstill.
“Over the past almost six years, my Administration has given much, and will further increase its support to the sector,” said Dr Harris. “Indeed the 2021 allocation of just over ten million dollars plus a further five million for the stimulus programme represents the largest budgetary allocation to the sector in a very long time.”
Prime Minister Harris said that he understood the vital importance of the sector to the country and economy, and also the challenges. He noted that he appreciated the vast potential of the agricultural sector to contribute to the country’s sustainable growth and development.
He however pointed out that for this to be achieved there must be a focused goal, and a cohesive strategy, and that way the country can produce more and better quality products for the population to consume domestically, and for export. He added that better quality foods lead to improvement in people’s health condition, which in turn should mean lower healthcare costs, as the population’s health is critical to the nation’s wealth.
According to Dr Harris, working together the farmers can create more jobs within the sector, wealth for the people and a source of foreign exchange for the country.
“Before concluding I must again encourage all farmers and fishers to get vaccinated,” said the Honourable Prime Minister. “Do it to minimise the risks of contracting Covid-19 or transmitting Covid-19 to anyone. Do it for yourselves, do it for your families and very importantly do it to put our country on a sustained path to recovery. Do it to facilitate our herd immunity target being realised, which in turn will lead to more business opportunities at our hotels and at other business places.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 10, 2021 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources honoured 10 hardworking and pioneering women for their contributions to the sector during a ceremony at the Agricultural Conference Room, La Guerite on Monday, March 08, 2021, International Women’s Day.
Tricia King and Dr. Tracey Challenger were honoured for technical and administrative support in Marine Resources and Agriculture (Livestock Division) respectively. The other honourees were Francella Stephens – Fisheries; Yvette Huggins – Meat Trader; Joan Napier – Horticulture; Agnes Crossley – Market Vending; Denise Gillard – Crop Farming; Arabella Nisbett – Agroprocessing and Annette France – Livestock. Fahies Agriculture Women’s Cooperative was honoured in the Women’s group in Agriculture category.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Honourable Alexis Jeffers, deemed the event extremely significant and congratulated the women on their achievement.
“This is a very auspicious occasion in the sense that today and moving forward… women are front and centre in all that we do today because you are given a whole day to be recognized,” said Minister Jeffers. “But, of course, we recognize our women every single day for their contribution towards family life, nationhood, and also throughout the globe women continue to do a marvelous job in terms of the development and providing us with that framework and the environment for development of this our blessed earth,” he added.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ron Dublin Collins, congratulated and thanked the honourees for their contributions to the sectors.
“Today is an opportune moment for us to say thank you to our women, to encourage them, to recognize them, because their contribution has been tremendous. [I] trust that this would be a day of celebration and recognition which is well due to the women who play so great a role in the agriculture and fisheries sector,” said Permanent Secretary Collins.
International Women’s Day 2021, is celebrated under the global theme “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World”.
“It [the theme] seeks to celebrate the tremendous efforts and the contributions that our women and girls play in shaping a more equal future particularly in those recovery efforts from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Mr. Collins.
He added that the ministry intends to make the event annual “as women and youths are part of the priority areas for the Ministry of Agriculture going forward.”
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 26, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris has reiterated his Government’s support for the fisheries sector, noting that the sector can play a lead role in St. Kitts and Nevis’ economic recovery post COVID-19.
Prime Minister Harris made those remarks when he addressed the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources’ National Fishers Consultation held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort on Thursday, February 25.
“COVID-19 has taught us a lesson and as we look to the future post COVID-19 we are looking to agriculture, crops, livestock and marine resource development to help make our future stronger and safer,” Prime Minister Harris stated.
Thursday’s consultation was held under the theme, “Together, We Invest, Transform and Build Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.”
The prime minister noted at the consultation that the past year has highlighted both the potential and resilience of the fisheries sector that can still be tapped into.
He said, “We want to look to this sector to see how we can create more jobs for our young people in particular and to explore new opportunities. In his own remarks, Marc [Williams, Director of Marine Resources] spoke about the importance of aquaculture. We have had some tentative goings in that particular arena, and yet aquaculture is going to be one of the fastest growing areas of marine development in the world and so we will have to find a way of enticing more people to come and to invest profitably in the area of aquaculture in the future.”
In this regard, Prime Minister Harris assured the fisherfolks in St. Kitts and Nevis that his Team Unity administration stands with them and will continue to provide the necessary financial and technical support.
“We have put aside $15.8 million in 2021 for the agricultural sector. Of that amount, $4 million have been put aside for marine development in St. Kitts, and we have also in that Budget put aside some $3 million to continue some of the stimulus investments which had taken place before,” Dr. Harris added.
Prime Minister Harris further indicated that his Government will also explore opportunities for public-private partnerships with local, regional, and international investors to utilise the country’s marine management method to increase food and commercial products, replenish stocks, and assist in the repopulation of species that may be under threat.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 19, 2021 (SKNIS): Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ron Collins, said that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has delivered well to farmers and fisherfolk, and will continue to support them under the Farmers and Fisherfolk Assistance Programme.
“Farmers and Fishers have benefited greatly from the stimulus package provided by the government in 2020,” said Mr. Collins during remarks on the development of the agricultural and fisheries sectors on February 19.
Mr. Collins said that the 2020 stimulus package aided farmers and fishers by greatly reducing prices on seeds, feed, and seedlings. He said that the government also made available land, wire, and other building materials.
“The Government has provided support by assigning STEP workers to farmers and fishers to enhance their operations, land preparations, provision of chemical and fertilizers—repair of paddocks has also been contributed,” he said.
The permanent secretary also highlighted the work of the Livestock Unit at the Department of Agriculture saying that the Unit adequately provided free treatment and Bayticol to control and arrest the Dermatophilosis that decimated the livestock within the Federation.
Additionally, he said, “Our Assistance Programme, made possible by the Federal Government, has made available funds to support the activities in helping farmers overcome some of the challenges they face,” while adding that the Federal Government made a further injection of an additional three million dollars for the year 2021 that he says, “will serve to ensure that the target of increased production and decreased import bill is achieved.”
“The opportunities in agriculture have increased because of the assistance provided,” Mr. Collins said. “Many of our farmers and fishers can speak to our commitment to helping them in their various farming and fishing endeavours.”
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 04, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Farmers and fisherfolks in St. Kitts and Nevis were today, Thursday, February 04, reminded of their important role in the overall growth of the Federation’s economy, and of the Team Unity administration’s unwavering support for the development of the agricultural and fisheries sectors.
“We are well placed as a country to begin the recovery from the worst COVID-19 economic impact. Indeed, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that St. Kitts and Nevis can realise an 8 percent economic growth in 2021. Of course, this growth will not come easy, it will not come by us waiting for it to happen and hoping that it will happen. We will have to work hard in 2021 for it. This strong turnout of farmers to this particular session is an indication of your high interest in the sector and your commitment to hard work. It is you, the people in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources that will make the growth in agriculture happen,” said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.
The prime minister was at the time delivering remarks at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources Annual Review and Agenda 2021 Meeting held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
Over the past year, the Government has made significant financial investments in the agricultural sector that was instrumental in assisting the farming and fishing community to rebound following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Harris said, “My Government believes in your sector and the contribution that it will make. That is why we have invested $10 million in our stimulus package to boost production in the agriculture sector and ensure greater food security for the Federation. Our plans are to inject an additional $5 million in stimulus over the next two years, starting with $3 million which will be available in 2021 to boost production and ensure greater food security. Combined with our $10 million committed as part of the stimulus…we have committed five more million dollars over the next two years to bring the special stimulus support to $15 million.”
The prime minister said this assistance should not be looked at as a hand out but rather as “a sign of the trust and belief that we have in the agricultural sector to protect jobs, create new jobs, and help rebuild our economy. Indeed, hundreds of farmers and fishers received well needed assistance, putting their livelihoods back on track.”
As part of its stimulus package introduced in March 2020, the government has injected ten million dollars into the agricultural sector and waived the water payments of farmers for six months as a measure to boost agricultural production.
During his 2021 Budget presentation in December of last year, Prime Minister Harris announced the extension of nine of the 17 measures outlined in its comprehensive $120-million stimulus package. Among them was the waiver of payments for the consumption of water by farmers until June 2021.
Additionally, the Government provided support in the way of fencing wires, free harrowing services, and free inputs such as seeds and seedlings to assist farmers, while more than 200 fishermen benefited from the provision of fish trap wire, fishing line, hooks, rope, buoys and safety equipment.
]]>NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (January 18, 2021) – Deputy Premier Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Minister of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Fisheries in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is calling on stakeholders in the agriculture sector to keep the momentum sparked by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agro Agenda 2021 forum on January 19, 2021, at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall, the Minister said the theme of the annual event “Revitalizing the passion and thrust as we ensure food and nutrition security”, is extremely timely as farmers and government alike seek to build on the gains made in the sector in response to the pandemic.
“This activity is a means of looking forward. Never before in our history, have we seen such a situation where we have had to change our whole attitude toward agriculture. In the past we had a lot of glowing talks about agriculture. It was on the lips of our people, but the action didn’t match our speech and our talk, our discourse but of course we have seen since 2020 that there is an urgency of now.
“Now is the time to plant more; now is the time to engage more; now is the time to ensure that we are providing the nutritious food that our people need, so as to ensure we are cultivating healthy communities. Now is also the time for us to ensure that we are putting ourselves in a position to eliminate any difficulties and stress that may be caused if we were to have a similar situation or a more acute situation that could develop in the future,” he said.
Hon. Jeffers pointed out that as a result of the NIA putting certain plans in place for the agriculture sector in January 2020, coupled with the COVID-19 stimulus provided to farmers and fishers in March, there had been a marked increase in food production on Nevis over the past several months, and the time had come for the island to be in a position to feed itself.
“We want to ensure that if we are able to feed ourselves for a year or more, it therefore means that we are moving to what we consider import substitution. We cannot go about our business depending on other countries to feed us anymore. We have to find our way to feed ourselves, and that is why these activities are important, to engage our stakeholders, to engage the general public, and to ensure that all of us are onboard in our effort to ensure that we are providing a strong and vibrant agricultural economy here in Nevis, and by extension the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” he said.
The Minister encouraged stakeholders to continue the collaborative efforts exhibited during the crisis in order to strengthen the local agricultural economy going forward, so that the island’s food import bill could continue to trend downward.
“So all of the various sectors of the agricultural economy must be working cohesively; we must be working as partners to ensure that collectively we are building an agriculture infrastructure that would provide us with the security and sustainability that we seek to achieve now and in the future…
“We have the resources, we have the tools, let us put them to good use… I want us to continue to build on those principles that we have been talking about. Let us grow what we eat and eat what we grow, and let our food be our medicine and let our medicine be our food,
he advised.
Agro Agenda 2021 provided stakeholders in the sector with data on the performance of the various areas in the sector from the previous year and outlined projections and plans for 2021.
The event saw in attendance Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, other Cabinet Ministers from the NIA, officials from the Nevis Department of Agriculture and the federal Ministry of Agriculture, farmers, and representatives from allied agencies.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 30th , 2020 (ZIZ News):
By: Chaïra Flanders
The Ministry of Agriculture held its third quarter Policy and Planning Review meeting at the Department of Agriculture Conference Room on Thursday October 30 2020.
The meeting was held in keeping with the Ministry’s Agenda 2020, to assess the Ministry’s performance for the third quarter and to plan for the fourth quarter of 2020.
During his opening remarks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Ron Dublin Collins explained the importance of having the quarterly review.
‘Today’s meeting is very important for us as it provides a forum for us to take a serious look at what we are doing, where we are, and where we want to be and how we intend to get there. The meeting seeks to build the foundation for collaboration and to allow for discussion and exchange of ideas. That is why I’m particularly happy that the representatives of farmers and fishers are here to join with us because we cannot do this on our own and the collaborative effort of all stakeholders is critical”, he said.
In his presentation, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Alexis Jeffers, said the reports that are presented during the quarterly reviews help to contribute towards policy development that can enhance the sector.
“We’re not just going to sit on that information and say it sounds good or does not sound good enough. We are going to utilise the data that is presented, we are going to utilise the information that is presented to us as well and also use that to shape policies and programs moving into the New Year. Whether in land distribution, whether in water, whether in crop production, how can we increase that and improve on what we are delivering to our farmers. Those are the things that we are hoping to accomplish”, Jeffers.
The Agriculture Minister also used the opportunity to encourage all stakeholders to do their part to push the Agriculture industry.
“I want to say to all of us, that with this new thrust that we have in Agriculture, the whole federation is looking towards the Department and Ministry of Agriculture to deliver and when they mean deliver, deliver something substantial so we can say that we are moving in the right direction in pushing Agriculture to the heights that we know it can get to in this federation”, the Minister added.
Presentations were made by all heads of units in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources. The audience was given the opportunity to ask questions following each presentation.
The meeting also saw in attendance, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture on Nevis.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 14th , 2020 (ZIZ News): Activities to commemorate World Food Day 2020 continued on Wednesday with the official re-launch of the Bayford’s Livestock Centre of Excellence in a ceremony held at Bayford’s Estate.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Hon. Alexis Jeffers explained that the re-launch of the livestock centre comes as part of the Department of Agriculture’s efforts to ensure food security and to decrease the federation’s reliance on imported meat.
“This is a dramatic and significant transformation of some 183 acres of land into a livestock centre of excellence which will directly benefit the farmers and the country as a whole. It is the start of a tremendous programme aimed at promoting food security by increasing livestock production through the implementation and modern and sustainable techniques with the view to significantly reduce the gap between imported and locally produced meat.
He added that through the Bayford’s Livestock Centre of Excellence a number of activities will take place including the establishment of breeding programmes that will “maintain and support sustainable improvement in livestock production.”
“The work here at Bayford’s Livestock Centre of Excellence would include a new abattoir with modern meat processing facilities and capabilities, a poultry slaughtering and processing facility, a rabbit slaughtering facility, swine breeding programme, cattle breeding programme, small ruminant breeding programme and…a hatchery.”
The Minister also mentioned that the first phase of work on the Bayford’s Livestock Centre is on-going and it includes the paddock rehabilitation, fencing repairs, building repairs, construction of holding areas trimming and removal of overgrown trees and garbage.
During his remarks, Prime Minister, Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris has committed to giving his support to the initiatives under the Ministry of Agriculture.
“I will try hard to give support to the projects and proposals that will come from the Ministry of Agriculture so that the lives of our farmers could be better and richer, the lives of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis can be healthier and we can in fact begin to improve upon our revenues to exporting our products to some of the neighboring islands and importing less leaving the scarce foreign reserve to do other things that are necessary.”
During the ceremony there were performances from calypso artiste King Socrates and steel pan player Melvin Hewlette.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 14, 2020 (SKNIS): At a ceremony held on September 14, Rams Trading Limited, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and the Basseterre Fisheries Complex entered into a commercial and community partnership whereby one thousand pounds (1000 lbs.) of fish would be sold to Rams on a weekly basis.
The Basseterre Fisheries Complex is supplied with fish from Nevis through the Fishermen’s Cooperative and from the major landing sites in St. Kitts—Dieppe Bay, Sandy Point, Old Road and Basseterre.
“I want to say how pleased I am to be here because this initiative is one that will bear fruits for Rams Group of Companies, the Basseterre Fisheries Complex and most importantly the stakeholders who we work with (fisherfolks),” said Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Honourable Alexis Jeffers at the ceremony.
“This initiative must be embraced by all involved and we want to make the commitment here this morning that we want to operate in a way that is consistent with what you have done here as a company in terms of offering consistency, quality, reliability and all of the good things that have made Rams Group of Companies a major force to be reckoned with here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” Minister Jeffers added.
“I want to say to the customers who would patronize you as well that this should be a part of their one-stop-shop to pick up fresh local fish right here at rams,” said the Minister. “I want persons to come to Rams and patronize the business because when it’s all said and done you are patronizing Rams, the Fisheries Complex, and you are patronizing our local fisher folks who are committed to ensuring that we have food security here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Director of Marine Resources, Marc Williams, speaking at the ceremony, said that the partnership “is something we have envisioned for years.”
“We looked at the fisherfolk in the Federation and they complained about a lack of markets…this initiative will only allow the Basseterre Fisheries Complex to increase its revenue for us to sustain the livelihood of fisherfolk within the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said the Director of Marine Resources.
He also said that the partnership will help fisherfolk in St. Kitts and Nevis to earn a livelihood especially at this economically difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hamir Sabnani, General Manager of Rams Trading Limited, said that “fresh fish is part of Rams continued offering and elevated experience available inside our stores.”
“Why we’ve decided to partner with the Department of Marine Resources and the Basseterre Fisheries Complex is to ensure a sustainable and safe supply of fish, safe being the important word,” Mr. Sabnani said.
“We are the first supermarket in the Federation to be offering fresh fish. We continue to find it necessary and important to support our local community and be a part of its growth. We find that too many times the partnerships between private sector and public sector are not embraced and they fall by the wayside after time,” Mr. Sabnani added.
The ceremony was also attended by Ron Dublin-Collins, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources.
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Mexico City, 14 July 2020 (IICA) High-level agricultural authorities in the Americas commit to taking specific actions to guarantee food and nutritional security in response to the pandemic |
Ministers of the sector met virtually for the second time this year, in a meeting hosted by the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development of Mexico and jointly organized by IICA and FAO. |
Mexico City, 14 July 2020. The Ministers and Secretaries of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Rural Development of the Americas reaffirmed their willingness to implement measures at the national, regional and hemispheric levels to guarantee food and nutritional security in the hemisphere, which has been put at risk by the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis that is expected to follow.
On Monday, the region’s high-level agricultural authorities participated in a virtual meeting hosted by the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of Mexico, Víctor Villalobos, with support from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Following the meeting, the ministers issued a document that describes the individual and joint efforts they will undertake to guarantee food and nutritional security, including: · Strengthening the production of food and agricultural, forestry and aquaculture products in countries of the Americas, recognizing the strategic role that the agrifood sector will play in economic reactivation. · Strengthening sanitary measures and protocols that protect human health as well as agricultural health without hindering the adequate flow of food, through prior consultation mechanisms. · Maintaining proper functioning of national and international markets, as well as local supply chains, through the timely exchange of information on food availability, demand and prices. · Continuing to support the participation of small and medium-scale agriculture in agrifood chains, particularly during the pandemic and the subsequent period of economic recovery, through public policies, public and private investment, as well as the allocation of funding under preferential conditions. · Reaffirming their trust in international technical cooperation provided by specialized agencies such as IICA and FAO, which can complement efforts to bolster innovation, inclusion and sustainability in the agriculture and rural sectors. The agricultural authorities highlighted the joint work undertaken by countries, international organizations and cooperation agencies. “Lately, we have been meeting more regularly than usual, which is very good. We must maintain the exchange of information and products, adopt agricultural health measures, guarantee the continuity of markets and provide SMEs with the necessary support, with the clear intention of generating the necessary conditions for economic reactivation in the aftermath of the pandemic, but also within the medium and long term ”, stated Víctor Villalobos. Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, noted, “the rest of the world should admire the relationship between countries in the Americas, which serves as an example that cooperation benefits everyone”. He added that his country is committed to maintaining cooperation with all of its trade partners and called for avoiding the adoption of measures that restrict the exchange of products without any scientific justification. “Agricultural trade is critical for all citizens; it creates jobs, increases income and provides safe, high-quality food. It is also crucial to keep borders open to foreign workers and protect their safety, because they are essential and deserve to be treated that way”, remarked Marie Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture of Canada. Tereza Cristina, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil, stated that the agriculture sector is under a great deal of pressure to maintain food supply, but continues to show resilience. “We will rely on the agriculture sector for recovery, but we must improve conditions in the countryside, where the world’s poverty is concentrated. We cannot return to the situation we had before the pandemic; instead, we will need to transition towards a fairer system that does not reward inefficiency”. Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, underscored the need for Caribbean countries to receive more technical cooperation to transform their economic base, which relies on tourism and has been hard hit by the pandemic. “We must develop new ways to cooperate, both at the multilateral and bilateral levels”. Antonio Walker, Minister of Agriculture of Chile, stated, “If it weren’t for international cooperation, many inhabitants in our region would be unable to feed themselves. We have adopted many measures in all of our countries. In Chile, we have achieved progress with respect to the electronic certification, as well as created a committee for safe food supply, which includes a wide range of participants, from small-scale farmers to final consumers. The committee includes farmers, transporters, wholesale and retail markets, as well as supermarkets and traders”. Spirit of regional cooperation Also in attendance at the virtual meeting of ministers were the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, and the Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of FAO, Julio Berdegué, who agreed that the agrifood sector can be a driving force for post-pandemic economic recovery, which will be a necessity. According to Otero, joint work at the regional level must be bolstered through concrete measures aimed at materializing the position adopted by the ministers. “We must always, and particularly amidst these dramatic circumstances, prioritize family farmers as much as health professionals and public safety officials. We require a digital agricultural revolution in family farming, and we have the capacity to succeed in this regard, because today’s technology is available at a low cost and yields high returns. Agriculture is the most relevant sector for food security”. Julio Berdegué, in turn, noted that it is necessary to reduce inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have been exacerbated by COVID-19. “In 2019, hunger affected 47.7 million people, and this figure is expected to increase to almost 67 million people by 2030, without even taking into account the impact of the pandemic. Additionally, having a healthy diet is most expensive in our region, costing almost USD 4 per person per day. We are an incredibly productive region, but a healthy diet is beyond the reach of nearly 104 million individuals”. The virtual meeting on 13 July was the second hemispheric meeting of ministers jointly organized by IICA and FAO. The first meeting, which was held on 22 April, was hosted by the Minister of Agriculture of Chile, Antonio Walker. The next hemispheric meeting will likely be held in October. |