Replacing imports will ease challenges to source food during global crises – PM Rowley

Replacing the percentage of imported food with local produce might create objections in the population, but it will ultimately make the Caribbean independent against international obstacles to acquire goods during crises.

This was the position shared by Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley during the opening of the Agri Investment Forum and Expo.
The Trinidadian Prime Minister shared that to carry a 25 per cent production rate in the region, it would mean replacing supply from outside the region. While this is anticipated to create competition and bring about objections in the population, it will secure the region against challenges to sourcing food during international crises.
Dr Rowley recollected instances where Trinidad has faced hiked prices and the issue of preferential treatment in the past when it was in need of supplies. The Caribbean carries a weighty food import bill of US$6 billion per annum, creating dependence on other countries for basic food supplies.
“We are required to replace our supply from outside of the Region. To do that, it would mean that those who are engaged comfortably, historically and supply us from outside the Region could face new conditions. The new conditions would be competition from what we are producing locally. And do not be surprised if there would be among our populations, objections to local supply replacing imported supply. But if we do not aim to replace the imported supply, then we are condemning ourselves to the vagaries of the ups and downs of the international market and we will not be able to look after ourselves,” he voiced.

The concept of eating what you grow and growing what you eat, Dr Rowley contended, will prove useful in the coming years and curtail the harsh realities in supplying the Region with food from abroad.
“We have to spend some time and resources in the head, teaching what we have lost. We took those things for granted. We have to make them fashionable again in the context of eat what you grow and grow what you eat. If you do that, you can insulate yourself from a world that is harsh, unfriendly and quite disrespectful to people like us.”
At the level of Caricom, he said Governments need to push forward this agenda to cushion from the “harsher months and years ahead”.

New approach
Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley sought to highlight the need for Caribbean households to adopt a new approach to nutrition and consuming what is produced locally to support the market. At the same time, she said Governments have a responsibility to make food accessible and affordable.
“We have to start eating what we grow and growing what we eat. And we have to do it, not only because of the economic requirements but because of the health requirements…The reality is we don’t have a choice. Therefore, for the first time, we have the opportunity of production matching what we absolutely need.”

She added, “We are facing a pivotal moment in Caribbean civilisation and it is up to us, not just as leaders but as Caribbean people to embrace this opportunity and to ensure while others may be wondering what to do and how they are going to get through it, we have planned, we have secured. We have understood the battle both at the level of the smallholder and large production entities to transform ultimately the production and agro-processing.
In his remarks, President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi focused on emerging opportunities and bankable investments, adding that agriculture is now at crossroads.
“While we recognise the challenges, we must focus on the opportunities. The need for a complete transformation and realignment of the Region’s food system has never been so urgent. This requires us as a Region to press the reset button as it relates to agriculture finance, rural infrastructure development, climate-smart agriculture, water management and use, agri-technology, cross border investments, fisheries, intra-regional trade and food security,” the Surinamese President shared.
The theme if the expo is, “Transforming Agriculture through Innovation and Investment” and it will conclude on Sunday.