Chairman of CARICOM John Bricenco, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves are among the Regional Heads of Government that will be travelling to Guyana to attend the country’s Agriculture Investment Forum and Expo.
Chairman of CARICOM John Briceno said the investment forum is significant for CARICOM as it speaks to ensuring food security in the Caribbean region.
Briceno said too that this requires action at the national and regional levels. This investment forum was birthed from a proposal that was presented by President Dr Irfaan Ali at the 33rd Inter-sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in Belize. It intends to reduce the $US6B food import bill by 25% by 2025 and also lay the foundation for a long-term food production system.
“The forum and expo will present us with an opportunity to catalyse investment, create linkages and networks, respond to infrastructural development needed to aid this process… necessary framework to support this," Briceno stated. Secretary-General of CARICOM Dr Carla Barnette echoed similar sentiments and said that the forum is an important step on the path to achieving the vision 25 by 2025.
She noted too that the forum will present an opportunity for marketing and e-commerce.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley reminded us that it is the mission of the leaders of CARICOM to ensure food security for their people.
She said, “I will be there on May 19th to be able to participate in what I believe would be a historic conference with us in the Caribbean reclaiming our destiny in the determination that we can forge it by being able to feed our people." The event will be held in Georgetown, Guyana from the 19th of May to the 21st, under the theme “Investing in Vision 25 by 2025.”
