Minister seeking regional markets for agricultural produce from SVG

Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar on Wednesday travelled to Trinidad and Tobago for one week, to seek markets for agricultural produce from St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

He is accompanied by Permanent Secretary Raymond Ryan. According to Caesar, their visit serves two purposes.

Today, the two will attend the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) meeting.

Caesar explained that a special Caribbean sub-committee has been set up to deal with the flying fish industry, in which St Vincent and the Grenadines has expressed interest.

“We know that Barbados and Tobago have done this traditionally and there is some expertise that will be needed for us to harness this opportunity ourselves.

“So, we will be attending this meeting to participate, so that St Vincent and the Grenadines can establish a flying fish industry”, he told SEARCHLIGHT.

The second reason for the visit, Caesar said, has to do with marketing agricultural produce and commodities from St Vincent and the Grenadines to Trinidad.

The intention is also to meet with Trinidad and Tobago’s minister of agriculture, Vasant Bharath, and key purchasers of agricultural commodities from St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“I’ve been looking at the current trend of the imports of bananas from St Vincent to Trinidad and Tobago.

“Last shipment, some 2,337 boxes went to Trinidad and 675 went to the extra region… The Trinidad market is growing significantly and the Permanent Secretary and myself, along with a marketing team will be going down to look at the current trend of bananas and the imports from St Vincent.”

Meetings will also be held with NAMDEVCO, one of the largest producers of agricultural commodities in Trinidad.

“We will be seeking for an increase in the market for root crops and organically produced crops from St Vincent and the Grenadines,” the minister added.

Plans are also in place for the next two months, to send agricultural commodities from St Vincent and the Grenadines under a St Vincent brand, because branding is very important, Caesar said.

“In Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines agricultural commodities would have, over the years, created a brand for itself, and as minister, I don’t think we are harnessing enough under the St Vincent brand.

“It’s not by coincidence that for the past 70 years, that persons have been trading between St Vincent and the Grenadines and that this trade has been constant and steady. It’s not by chance. It’s because of the excellent quality of the goods coming from St Vincent and the Grenadines and that is why so many markets in the region can look to St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Caesar stated. (AA)