Private sector must fill Caribbean food gaps, says Green

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green says greater private sector involvement will be critical to helping the Caribbean reduce its dependence on food imports and achieve a 25 per cent reduction in the regional food import bill by 2030.

Green said Caribbean governments have been identifying areas in which individual countries have competitive advantages, while engaging businesses to invest in production and help fill gaps in the regional food market.

“We have decided as a grouping that different islands will focus on different areas,” Green said during a plenary session at the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on Wednesday.