Caricom Chairmanship: Guyana’s assumption a boost for food security effort – Mustapha

…says agriculture will be a priority, 25 by 2025 target will be met

With Guyana set to assume the Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) next year, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha is optimistic that this will build on the work Guyana has already been doing to advance regional food security and the 25 by 2025 initiative.
The Minister was at the time hosting his Ministry’s end-of-year press conference on Saturday, where he noted that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s impending assumption of the mantle of Caricom Chairmanship is a big boost for Guyana and the Region, especially as it relates to food security.
“For Guyana’s ascension to the Caricom Chairmanship, this is a big boost for us. Because first of all we know that His Excellency is leading the agriculture agenda in Caricom. He’s the lead spokesperson for agriculture. For me as the Minister, I think agriculture will be one of the main focus,” Mustapha said.
“Because we have seen, over the last two years, a number of countries who had indicated their interest in this sector. now, for His Excellency to assume the chair of Caricom, I think agriculture will be given priority. Other issues will be given priority, but agriculture… because we’ve seen what has happened during the pandemic. Many countries.”

According to the Minister, more and more countries have come around to the importance of food security and have expressed the political will to reduce the regional food import bill. And with Guyana now chairing Caricom, the food security agenda will take on a major focus.
“Rich places in the Caribbean whose economies afforded it. They were unable to get food sometimes. So that is why Caricom leaders met and decided that look, we have to reduce the dependency and external import. We have to reduce it and phase it out. For the first five years, we have to reduce it by 25 per cent.”
“Over the years, you would have seen Caricom make different statements about agriculture and food production. But now, we are seeing the political will is there. And I think with the passion our President has, he will drive this agenda and I think Caricom will focus directly towards food production and reducing the food import bill. So that will help not only us, but the Caribbean in achieving its goal in terms of moving in the direction we want Caricom to move.”

The Minister recalled that the commodities targeted for the 25 by 2025 initiative include poultry meat, rice, coconuts and corn and soya… all of which are produced in Guyana and, in the latter case, Mustapha was confident that by the end of 2025, production of this could reach 30,000.
“We have about eight commodities that are targeted to reduce the importation. Things like poultry meat, rice, coconuts, those things that come into the Caribbean. Guyana will be playing a leading role in helping to reduce that importation. And those commodities that were identified, are commodities that Guyana is producing.”
“The last time we would have taken a stock, was about 58 per cent we are at presently. Hoping that by 2025 we can achieve the 100 per cent we set ourselves, in terms of achieving the 25 per cent.”
While he declined to identify countries that were lagging behind in their food security commitments to contribute to the regional efforts, Mustapha did admit that some countries faced challenges of their own that they were making an effort to surmount.
“For instance, Montserrat. You don’t expect Montserrat to make a large contribution. They have a very large volcano. Places like St Vincent and the Grenadines, they had a volcano eruption the other day. They are now rebuilding the sector. We’re working with them to rebuild their (agriculture) industry once again. But they are making their contributions. They’re trying as much as possible.”
“Reducing the food import bill of Caricom was a long discussion before, but now we are seeing the political will. We’re seeing countries now interested, places like Barbados. Whose economy was built on tourism. Who never had interest in agriculture much. Now they are interested.”
According to the Minister, this interest has translated into Guyana helping these countries to accomplish certain goals, such as building shade houses and cultivating brackish water shrimp. In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, Mustapha said Guyana is helping them to resuscitate their rice industry. Additionally, Guyana will be sending a technical team to Trinidad next year to assist them with this.
As part of chairing the Conference of Heads of Government for the period January 1 to June 30, 2024, Guyana will be hosting the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference in February 2024 and continue the Community’s activities to mark Caricom’s 50th Anniversary.