Caribbean agri-firms want buyers and freight—not more workshops

Small producers say high transport costs, unreliable shipping and weak distribution links continue to keep regional products off store shelves.

Caribbean micro and small agricultural enterprises are calling for practical help with shipping, packaging, buyer connections and financing, arguing that training alone has not solved the harder problem of getting their products into regional and international markets.

The concerns emerged during a virtual regional forum hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) under the theme, ‘Moving Products to Markets, Literally!’