AGRICULTURE Minister Noel Holder has just returned from Merida, in Mexico; where he attended a series of high-level meetings on agriculture in that country and in the Caribbean.Among the areas emphasized in the discussions at those meetings were: animal and plant health, safety and quality challenges, and joint venture recognition within the Caribbean. Productivity enhancement and agriculture, livestock and fisheries’ sustainability, strengthening South-South Cooperation within Caribbean regions, and geospatial information for early warning and decision-making were the other areas of focus.

The Ministry of Agriculture has said in a release that participants were given opportunity to discuss ways in which those nations could promote closer collaboration with other countries in the Caribbean, in order to facilitate trade of agricultural produce.

Discussions on initiatives and coordination of intra and inter-sectoral actions at the regional, sub-regional and national levels — by adopting and exchanging information on policies developed by participating countries — were given top priority as ministers and secretaries saw the need to improve in this regard.

During the course of the week, efforts were made to formulate an integrated, comprehensive approach to three outlined sustainable development dimensions — economic, social and environmental approaches.

In an invited comment, Minister Holder said that meetings of this nature provide opportunities to facilitate an exchange of experiences and best practices in phytosanitary regulations, spatial data for decision making, and the improvement of productivity and sustainability of agriculture in the region.

“The Government’s agricultural trajectory outlines the nexus between food security and nutrition security in its eco-system, and emphasizes the need for good governance among all sectors and actors involved by implementing policies which will, in turn, further develop Guyana’s food and nutrition security,” Minister Holder said.

The meetings served as a means to further advance and facilitate the sharing of expertise among Caribbean countries in strategic food industry areas, and will set the groundwork for two regional technical cooperation projects which would be implemented in the short term, gathering the inputs of key players in the agricultural industry.