Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar speaking at a business forum on the AGRICOM Project recently, said the food import bill in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is $200 Million, however, he was happy to be addressing the stakeholders who can assist this country in reducing its food import bill.
He pointed out that “the Government has to put the enabling environment in place but it is the work of stakeholders to make it happen.”
The Minister challenged the stakeholders to find ways to see what percentage of the $200 Million their factory, farms and cooperatives would help to reduce, and to see what their contributions would be to the national exports from these productive sectors.
The OECS Agriculture Competitiveness AGRICOM Project is valid for a period of five years from June 2017- May 2023.
The event was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate dialogue between major buyers and producers to match demands for agri-foods with potential supply platforms in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to share information on growth trends and market opportunities in key value chains and markets.
The OECS Agriculture Competitiveness AGRICOM Project is jointly financed by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank at a total cost of US $ 5.02 or EC $13.55 million