Initiatives to be introduced in 2022 to enhance agriculture – Minister

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Lands, Rural Transformation, Industry, and Labour is expected to introduce a number of initiatives in 2022, aimed at the training and retooling of the food production workforce, especially in the agriculture and fisheries subsectors.

 According to Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar: “Our production systems must evolve to attain food sovereignty and security. The upgrading of infrastructure and introduction of new technologies will be incomplete without the requisite skill set. Our food sector requires a labour supply of skilled personnel to service the existing and emerging commodity value chain.”

 Casesar was speaking in Parliament as he contributed to the E$1.3 billion budget presentation for 2022.

“There will be a drive in 2022 and beyond to increase training in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. There will be an emphasis on training the youth in new areas of innovation and digital application by creating opportunities for wealth creation and sustainable livelihoods,” Caesar continued.

 He said the aim is to make food production systems more efficient, through the training and retooling in farming techniques, soil conservation, timber, agro and fish processing.

“In order to transfer the skill sets needed to develop a modern competitive food production sector, there will be collaboration with friendly governments: Taiwan – vegetable and livestock production, and Cuba – fishing techniques.” 

This increased skill set development is expected to be done using training opportunities at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, The University of the West Indies, the Guyana School of Agriculture, and other regional and international educational institutions for transfer of technical knowledge to producers.

 Caesar said the Government plans also to strengthen the governance framework and infrastructure of the Arrowroot Industry and resume work on the new factory at Orange Hill which was halted due to the volcanic eruptions last April.  According to the agriculture minister, this modern facility valued at EC$9,723,178.00 will extend processing beyond arrowroot to include yams, dasheen and sweet potato, banana, plantain and breadfruit to be processed into flour.

Export-led growth in traditional agricultural commodities and fishery products are to be further expanded.

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines will continue to maintain its position in the regional market particularly Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago,” Caesar said.

“Through an OECS framework addressing consolidating marketing of agricultural commodities produced from the Windward Islands… “St. Vincent and the Grenadines will explore markets in Europe. Cabinet has granted approval for participation in this initiative,” Caesar stated in Parliament on January 14.

 He said the fisheries sector is experiencing exponential growth and Rainforest Seafoods, which will shortly begin operating in Calliaqua, through a Memorandum of Understanding has requested EC$20,000,000 in fish and marine products annually, with a further demand of EC$10,000,000 by other exporters.

The Bequia Seafoods and Union Island Fisheries Centres will continue to expand to meet market demand; and the Calliaqua Fisheries Centre will reopen to the public sometime this month.

The Fisheries Expansion Programme will include the enhancement of the tuna fishing industry through an injection of $1,500,000.

This will be counterpart funding with the private sector to undertake a national fleet expansion programme that will include both pirogues and long-liners. The operationalisation of the financing arrangements will be undertaken by the “Kingstown Co-operative Credit Union, current off takers/exporters, and an insurance company shortly,” Caesar said. 

Other initiatives in the fisheries expansion programme will include the Barrouallie Blackfish Enhancement Project with a total cost of EC$7,658,669. The supporting legal framework is also targeted for an overhaul, the minister said. Consequently there will be revision of the Fisheries Act to facilitate the removal of the European Union ‘Red Card’ for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing; and the Fisheries Division will conduct a national consultation regarding the revised draft Fisheries Bill.

 Rehabilitative work is slated to begin during this month on the Owia Fisheries Complex which also was severely affected by La Soufriere volcanic eruptions.

 The minister said several commodities are being targeted for increased local consumption to contribute to the reduction in the food import bill; and several co-operatives and producer groups have been identified and will be connected to supermarkets and other retail markets.

 In order to enhance the resilience of the agriculture sector against the vagaries of climate change, Caesar said there will be the “transferring of climate change resilient technology and practices so that our farmers and fishers will experience fewer losses.” 

This will be through the planting of drought tolerant grass for pastures, dissemination of heat tolerant animals, increased irrigation, and rehabilitating the forest in collaboration with friendly governments, NGO’s and the private sector.  The minister added that the government will complete a study in 2022 that will address issues of slope stabilisation, flora and fauna restoration, agro forestry plots, and enhancing upper watershed ecosystems around catchment areas.