CARICOM awards innovative Regional farmers

THE CARIBBEAN Community (CARICOM) on Monday, October 7, 2024, presented awards to regional farmers as part of activities to mark the 18th Caribbean Week of Agriculture which concluded in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), last Friday, October 11.

FROM LEFT: Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar; Alicia Bogues, who accepted the Ministers of Agriculture CARICOM Farmer of the Year award on behalf of Caribbean Broilers, Jamaica; and Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General

The presentation was made during the opening ceremony of the event which featured addresses and remarks from Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonzalves, Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar, CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett and other partners.

Kevorn Vidal of Dominica was named CARICOMYouth Farmer of theYear, with Caribbean Broilers, Jamaica winning the CARICOM Ministers of Agriculture Farmer of theYear award. Alicia Bogues accepted the award on behalf of the company, a release from the CARICOM Secretariat states.

“It is with immense joy and pride that I stand here before you as the recipient of the 2024Young Farmer of theYear Award. I would say this is a true manifestation of perseverance and commitment,”Vidal is quoted as saying.

“ As a young man who has been rooted in agriculture coming from generations of a farming family and a community invested in the agriculture sector, I’ve always had the desire to toil on the land to produce food, but to see the hard work, and the love and passion emerge as a business venture,” Vidal trailed off as he accepted the award.

In her remarks, Bogues said it was “an absolute honour”, to receive the 2024 Farmer of theYear award, which signals that regional companies are not only capable, but are also making real investment to achieve the 25 per cent reduction in the Region’s food import bill by 2025.

This year’s edition of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture was held from October 7-11, 2024, at The University of the West Indies Open Campus at Richmond Hill, Kingstown, under the theme, ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future’. The theme is aligned with the objectives of the 25 by 2025 Initiative to reduce the Region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 and make regional food systems more resilient and sustainable. The five-day event also featured workshops and seminars coordinated by partners in regional agriculture.

Participants benefitted from a range of topics presented such as: safeguarding agriculture in a changing climate; climate-smart fishing, young people championing regional food systems; food security and nutrition; women farmers’ pathways after Hurricane Beryl; digital agriculture in the Caribbean; and human resource development in the sector. A Trade Show and Expo promoting agri-businesses, knowledge sharing, and the exploration of modern technologies in the sector was among the highlights of the week.