Regional agriculture experts plot strategy for future
For centuries agriculture has been the economic backbone of the Caribbean Basin. But the global economy is rapidly changing and in the current volatile trading environment today’s breadbasket is tomorrow’s empty basket. This week the region’s experts are meeting in Belize to discuss strategies for success in a turbulent market.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
The participants, agricultural scientists and economists from Latin America and the Caribbean have come together to share information that will help them improve marketing and improve industries that are under threat.
Wendell Parham, President, C.A.E.S.
“The traditional markets are having a hard time in terms of loss in quota and preferences and prices, that is the sugar and the bananas, and we need to become more competitive to stay in the market.”
According to the president of the Caribbean Agro-Economic Society Wendell Parham, the challenge is so great that Belize and Guyana are probably the only two countries in the region that may be able to maintain a viable sugar industry in the future.
Wendell Parham
“Because of the competitiveness. We have not retooled
our industries over the years and now we have lost those quotas, we have lost the prices so we have to catch up. So we are in a difficult position and some of those industries have been there a long time.”
The concern was also noted in the Prime Minister’s address to the gathering. Said Musa cautioned that sugar’s success in Belize and Guyana will depend on the continued restructuring of the industry in both countries.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“The production of ethanol as a part of our diversification efforts offers prospects for further development of this industry as well as the co-generation of electricity from bagasse which is major project being undertaken by the local sugar company.”
As for the banana industry, Musa says Belize must fight to survive.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“The banana industry is facing unremitting and continuing competition within the limited quota system of the European union from the African producing countries, A.C.P., and outside of quota from the dollar banana producers. Under the present arrangements, the small producers in the Windward Islands are facing a grave threat. Belize may be able to survive this threat if only we can maintain product quality, cost effective programmes, pests and disease and control and incentive
for improved competitiveness.”
“The agricultural sector is undoubtedly faced with major external challenges. One is the trade liberalization and globalization process resulting in the erosion of preferences; two is the decline and wide fluctuation in prices particularly for the traditional exports of sugar, bananas, citrus and shrimp; three, of course, natural disasters, the whole region we are vulnerable.”
Over the next four days the delegates will be working towards viable solutions.
Wendell Parham
“Several papers will be presented in different areas and to look at how we can try to improve marketing. What are the methods that we can use, where are the markets, what are some of the conditionality for those requirements.”
The group will also focus on how to protect the environment and sustain natural resources systems that serve the region’s tourism industry.
Wendell Parham
“How best can we strike a balance in achieving those objectives yet maintaining a certain high integrity in the environment because we still depend on that very same environment for those production processes. So we often hear that agriculture is messing up the reef, too much chemicals or we have overcrowding from tourism on the sites and so forth.”
“It is a delicate thing but it is only through discussion and research and findings and sharing experiences that we will be able to develop a plan or take actions that are well preventative and also corrective if necessary.”
The conference is co-hosted by the Caribbean Agro-Economic Society and the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Agricultural Economists.
