| Grenada- The need to revitalize the regional agriculture sector and re-position it to take its rightful place as a chief economic stimulant and the pivot of the Community’s renewed food security and food sovereignty thrust, was the rallying call,Cheap Jerseys Free, Thursday, as Caribbean Week of Agriculture officially opened in St. George’s, Grenada.At the National Stadium in St. George’s where the CWA activities are based, the ‘eat Caribbean/ eat what you produce’ theme was central to all eight of the speeches delivered on the occasion, and was also woven into the cultural presentation – a medley of folk songs – that followed them.Leading off the charge Thursday evening, Michael Lett, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Grenada,Artemi Panarin Jersey, urged the gathering of agriculture stakeholders to embrace with a new sense of purpose, the quest to re-energise the agriculture sector.Against the widespread destruction Grenada suffered after two hurricanes hit in 2006, that CARICOM state was now beginning to regain its footing.Christopher Tufton, Minister of Agriculture of Jamaica and Chairman of the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu, threw out a challenge to the Community to “bring the Cinderella sector out of the closet” so that it could make a remarkable contribution to economic development.The agriculture sector, he charged, was neglected. Instead, focus is being paid to the services and tourism sectors. The food crisis, he pointed out, has exposed the flaws in that development model.Pointing to the resilience of agriculture, particularly on the basis of its nine per cent growth in 2009, Minister Tufton said that building capacity to produce more must become the quest of the Region.“Eat Caribbean,” was the challenge given to the Region by Florita Kentish, Sub-Regional Director for the Caribbean of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO),Brad Richards Red Wings Jersey, who also called on the Community to think regionally and act nationally to push the agriculture sector.In his remarks, Edwin Carrington, Secretary-General of CARICOM, said that as the issue of alleviating food security was being contemplated, the Community must remind itself that hunger did not wait for consensus or the signing of agreements.“…The focus on agriculture as a prime mover in the development of our Community and its peoples brings into the spotlight the increasing incidence of hunger. Despite the hard work by many politicians, scientists, agronomists, economists, development workers, and others to achieve food security, the global community has still not fully embraced the political and social changes that are necessary to alleviate food insecurity,” the Secretary-General said.He drew attention to the figures regarding agriculture in the region, but pointed out that the figures did not represent agriculture’s true contribution to the economy of the region nor of individual countries. Against the background of the initiatives taken to boost the agriculture sector,Fernando Rodney Jersey, the Secretary-General pointed out that if the sector were to play its full role of feeding the population, as well as being a base for industry and a support to tourism, initiating action was not enough.There must be follow up and follow through to their final conclusions, he stressed.Delivering the feature address, Tillman Thomas, Prime Minister of Grenada, said that agriculture must play a more important role in the development of the Region. He pointed out that the agriculture sector still held the key to employment and expansion of economies, but acknowledged that much more still needed to be done to improve the sector.It was time now, he said, to give rebirth to agriculture and agri-business.“We must begin now,” he said. He urged also that links be made between agriculture and health to address, for example, chronic diseases; to address current consumption patterns; and to find creative ways to direct consumption of foods grown in the Caribbean. Prime Minister Thomas also stressed the need to revitalize traditional home gardening.Other speakers at the CWA opening were Michael Hailu, Director, Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA); Dr. Arlington Chesney, Executive Director, Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and Dr. Victor Villalobos, Director General, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.Caribbean Week of Activities began on October 16,Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey, and concluded yesterday following a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).Guyana has a food booth in Grenada and Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud,NFL Jerseys China Online, and Nizam Hassan, General Manager, New Guyana Marketing Corporation (NewGMC) were there for the activities. |
