On Monday 7 October, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) presented awards to regional farmers as part of activities to mark the 18th Caribbean Week of Agriculture that is underway in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The presentation was made during the opening ceremony of the event which featured addresses and remarks from the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonzalves, Minister responsible for Agriculture, Hon. Saboto Caesar, CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett and other partners.
Kevorn Vidal of Dominica was named CARICOM Youth Farmer of the Year with Caribbean Broilers Jamaica winning the CARICOM Ministers of Agriculture Farmer of the Year award. Alicia Bogues accepted the award on behalf of the company.
“It is with immense joy and pride that I stand here before you as the recipient of the 2024 Young Farmer of the Year Award. I would say this is a true manifestation of perseverance and commitment. 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 said as he accepted the award.
In her remarks, Bogues, said it was “an absolute honour”, to receive the 2024 Farmer of the Year 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 runs from 7-11 October at The University of the West Indies Open Campus in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The theme ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future’ 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 features workshops and seminars coordinated by partners in regional agriculture. Through these sessions, participants will benefit from topics 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 which promotes agri-businesses, knowledge sharing and the exploration of modern technologies in the sector, is a highlight of this event.
