Caribbean Week of Agriculture Begins in Trelawny With Regional Food Security Push

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett urged a regional overhaul to link Caribbean farmers and agro-processors with hotels, proposing a Caribbean Tourism Agricultural Logistics Centre, a regional version of Jamaica’s ALEX platform, and dedicated loans for small farmers. He said better coordination and common standards could keep more tourism spending in the region and reduce food imports.

Jamaica’s Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said the Caribbean Week of Agriculture must lead to concrete action, with COTED expected to track commitments that improve conditions for farmers and fishers across the region. He highlighted new CRFM fisheries protocols, calls for better maritime logistics and harmonised standards, and an IICA regional centre of excellence in Jamaica to boost innovation and seed supply.

FAO Caribbean sub-regional coordinator Dr Renata Clarke will retire this year after nearly 30 years with the organisation, including seven years based in Barbados. She led work to improve agri-food systems across 13 English-speaking Caribbean countries, supporting climate-smart farming, disaster preparedness, aquaculture and partnerships with regional and UN agencies.

Jamaica’s Agriculture Minister Floyd Green says the Caribbean must urgently improve maritime links so locally produced food can move more easily between countries. Speaking at a COTED agriculture meeting in Trelawny, he said weak logistics, inconsistent standards and labour shortages could slow regional food-security efforts and limit markets for farmers and fishers.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green is urging CARICOM to create a regional system for moving agricultural workers between islands, citing Dominica’s migrant labour programme as a model that has helped about 80 farmers and boosted productivity. He also said Jamaica and the wider region must use more technology, including drones and AI, as fewer young people want farm work.

Jamaica’s Agri Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform has generated nearly $2 billion in sales since 2018 by connecting small farmers with hotels and other tourism buyers, TEF Executive Director Dr Carey Wallace said in Trelawny. He said the system helps consolidate produce from multiple farmers to meet large orders, boost local supply, and replace imports where possible.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green says Caribbean governments are working with private investors to cut the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2030. He said countries are focusing on different crops, such as Jamaica’s roots and tubers and Guyana’s rice and corn, while expanding regional production in poultry and eggs to reduce imports.

More than 600 regional and international delegates are meeting in Trelawny for the Caribbean Week of Agriculture, where leaders are pushing practical action on food security, climate resilience, technology and investment. Jamaica’s farm sector contracted 17% in the April-to-June quarter after drought and storm damage, underscoring the urgency of regional plans to cut food imports and strengthen production.

RADA says it is building more than 30 farm water ponds with storage capacity of over 7 million gallons, some due before next March, to help farmers cope with drought. The programme, announced at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, is part of Government’s push to improve water security for agriculture through catchment points, pond liners and drip systems.

Jamaican researchers say growing yams from leaf nodes could produce up to 10 times more than using tubers, and Agriculture Minister Floyd Green wants farmers to adopt the method. If validated, the leaf-bud cutting technique could cut seed costs, boost productivity and help Jamaica expand its already strong yam exports.

Belize Agriculture Minister Rodwell Ferguson urged Caribbean consumers and businesses to stop assuming imported goods are better than regional products, saying stronger support for local goods is essential to food security. Speaking at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, he also called for better shipping links and regional cooperation so Caribbean producers can compete and trade more effectively.

The Inter-American Development Bank is urging Caribbean governments, investors and development partners to take a systems approach to climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries, with strategies that remove barriers to investment. Speaking at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, Jamaica, IDB’s Anna Tonnes highlighted opportunities in boats, seed systems, cold chains and irrigation, plus tools such as bonds, debt swaps and public-private partnerships.

The IDB’s Dr Anna Toness says Caribbean governments cannot fund climate-proofing food systems alone and must attract private investors to scale up resilient agriculture and fisheries. Speaking at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, she pointed to opportunities in seed systems, cold storage, irrigation and agri-tech, while urging risk-reduction tools such as bonds, debt swaps and public-private partnerships.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Caribbean leaders must make agriculture attractive to young people by improving access to land, financing, equipment, training and markets. Speaking at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, he said farming, agro-processing and agri-tech could create jobs, businesses and wealth across the region.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness urged Caribbean governments to cut red tape that is slowing agricultural investment, saying approvals for seeds, livestock and equipment must be faster to boost productivity and competitiveness. Speaking at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, he called for more private capital, long-term supply contracts and irrigation as Jamaica rebuilds after Hurricane Melissa.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said Jamaica is boosting farm production while coping with repeated hurricane damage by adding backup power, emergency supplies and faster disaster-response planning. He noted that 75% of irrigation customers had service restored within a week after Hurricane Melissa, and that irrigated arable land has grown from 15% to 30% as part of the region’s food-security push.

IICA will establish a Regional Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Innovation in Jamaica to help the Caribbean use technology to improve food systems and respond to disasters. Announced at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, the plan also includes climate-smart demo plots, stronger extension services, and faster seed and recovery support after storms.

Jamaica will host a Regional Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Innovation, announced by IICA Director General Dr Muhammad Ibrahim at the opening of Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny. The centre, along with seed, climate-smart farming and food-safety initiatives in Jamaica and Barbados, is aimed at helping Caribbean agriculture cope with climate shocks, pests, high costs and supply disruptions.

Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, operator of KFC and Pizza Hut in Jamaica, has given $1 million to sponsor the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny from September 27 to October 2. The company says the support reflects its reliance on local farmers and its interest in stronger Caribbean food systems, food security and market access.