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Government Initiatives to Address Food Supply – The St. Barnabas Accord

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Russia’s war in Ukraine will disrupt commerce and clog up supply chains, slashing economic growth and pushing prices sharply higher around the globe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned Thursday….the 38-country OECD said that over the next year, the conflict would reduce gross domestic product (GDP) — the broadest measure of economic output — by 1.08 percent worldwide, by 1.4 percent in the 19 European countries that share the euro currency and by 0.88 percent in the United States.

OECD warns Ukraine war to push prices even higher.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley
Indar Weir, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

The ongoing war in Ukraine obviously has implications for global trade and supply chains, consequently there has been growing attention to the issue of food and nutrition security. This comes on the back of the ongoing pandemic that has already disrupted the global supply with increase demand for certain products exposing challenges in production and distribution. With global challenges predicted to continue the obvious question for curious minds is to examine the Mia Mottley government’s agriculture mitigation measures under Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir. 

The goal of the F.E.E.D programme is to involve more young people in agriculture by training them and providing them with land and infrastructure after training by initially targeting was 1200 farmers. The government is also reportedly spending millions of dollars in St. Phillip and St.Lucy. The water harvesting project at River in St. Phillip is almost complete.

See relevant link:

https://www.facebook.com/100057813352043/posts/398749615395480/

There is also the Hope Training Initiative in St Lucy, funded by the Chinese Government.

See related link: 

https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/03/05/major-agriculture-projects-in-the-works-ministry/

However the agriculture project which captures the imagination of the blogmaster is the initiative at the Lears Land Lease project. It is a partnership between government and C.O Williams with the plan to allocate land between 5000 sq ft and 2 acres to 150 F.E.E.D programme participants. A component of the project is that it plans construction of a food terminal in partnership with Guyana and Suriname which should see Barbados becoming a southern Caribbean hub for the distribution of food throughout the region.  Barbados hopes to benefit from competitive prices for food products which are not produced in Barbados. Also there is another upside- products produced in excess like onions local farmers will have access to a facility to export to the rest of Caricom to ease any glut. 

See relevant link: 
https://youtu.be/8Y9ru2au2jM

Another initiative is the Blackbelly Sheep project which seeks to increase local blackbelly sheep population from 10,000 to 1 million in 5 years. This is being led by local black belly sheep expert Dr. Leroy McClean. The project is expected to utilize land space in Guyana for sheep farming and hopefully significant reduce lamb imports into Caricom. 

See relevant link:
https://youtu.be/yyxw0vrXAjs

These initiatives have resulted from the St.Barnabas Accords which is an agreement signed by Barbados, Guyana and Suriname on cooperation across several sectors. This partnership with Guyana – described for years as the bread basket of the region – is long overdue and was a part of the vision of the late Owen Arthur who all agree was a big proponent of the CSME, a component of CARICOM.

The blogmaster is about recognizing results, in this case the measure must be a spike in agriculture output by moving the GDP needle. However some marks must be given to the Mottley administration for the ongoing initiatives mentioned. For sure volatility in the global production and distribution commodities market demands the urgency of now by leaders for the region to cooperate and find ways to feed its people. Globalization as we knew it seems to be under threat- a new global order is emerging and countries are rethinking alliances and leaning more to smaller trading blocks. The St. Barnabas Accord along with others to be born maybe the way forward to circumvent more bureaucratic regional arrangements.

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68 responses to “Government Initiatives to Address Food Supply – The St. Barnabas Accord”

  1. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “BU just like much of Barbados.

    Bare talk.”

    that’s the reputation it seems to have worked overtime for so long to cultivate and project. Guess that is how the blog owner wants it….a waste, but, it’s a personal choice. We would have to worry if it was the only platform around.

    sensible people have moved away from inaction to positive action, the new Black world order, demands it..

  2. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    “The herb is legal in Canada and every citizen can grow four plants for his/her personal use. You can grow four outside and four inside. The four in the yard for a friend who dont have land. lol”

    every country to date that has legislated for medical use, including every small island, except Barbados, has included this in their legislation, because it’s the sensible thing to do, but these jokers want to turn it into something disenfranchising and evil to not benefit the Black majority, as is always their intent….but because of their backwardness, like everything else, that too will return to bite them, let them figure it out on their own, which is a stretch, or wait for it to happen.

    We could always do with a laugh.

    yes, if you are growing marijuana in your yard, and already have in your house, the neighbor gets to share, it’s that type of herb, that heals a nation.

  3. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    So how what I posted more than ten years ago remains relevant to the same challenge whereby such measures were limited and unavailable in helping to tackle these problems and the govt of the day had a shortage of financial spend to help the legitimate farmer
    Present govt has prioritized its monies in building parks
    Handing over millions to the cruise Industry in docking fees
    Tax breaks and waivers left right and centre
    Go figure!
    David don’t use my ten year or more comments as a context as a refresher whereby it can be stamped as having a political preference and a beef against present govt
    When times change people and things evolved
    Hence the same should be said for any govt who should used a model of priority in the best interest of people and country
    Parks and fountains I ain’t getting it right now
    Maybe later

  4. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Meanwhile, De Country Cunt going out to reap, not talk!

    Cunt Corner is a great place to be!

  5. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Wuhlaus! Rain. …in Hell!

    Must be de devil lookin’ after he own!

    De Country Cunt returns to bed and BU Baloney.

  6. wargeneral Avatar
    wargeneral

    For some global context look at Peru:https://youtu.be/l0CUBALCTpw
    and
    Sri Lanka:https://youtu.be/V_3iAFewWfU

  7. Dame+Bajans Avatar
    Dame+Bajans

    I have about five pumpkins left from last years crop. I farm 500 sq.ft in the allotment and about 200 at home. I get enough produce in 4 months to feed several families. I share with three neighbours, especially my Chinese friend who helps with the planting and weeding. Bajans can do it. In Cuba every little patch, even in the front yards are planted with vegetables. Bajans have no excuse.

  8. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Dame Bajans,

    Easy peasy!

  9. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    LMBAO BU is populated with egofowls eh. Day after day after day, just about EGO and no substance. #30-0

  10. David Avatar
    David

    Uptick in Caricom food import bill

    THERE HAS BEEN a slight increase in food imports throughout the CARICOM region, but Barbados remains high on the list for importing water and sugar sweetened beverages and processed potatoes.
    That was revealed by Govind Seepersad, lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, an extension of The University of the West Indies, St Augustine. He was speaking yesterday during the launch of the two-day virtual Caribbean Healthy Food Policy Research Symposium.
    Seepersad added that a recent food system study conducted in the United Nations for the Caribbean region in Barbados and the OECS, showed obesity was prevalent in adult females (33 per cent) and was on an increasing five per cent trend every decade.
    “While I am not here drawing a correlation of increased imports of highly processed foods, we might be able to judge there might be a correlation of highly processed foods and the obesity in adult populations.
    “The global average of diabetes in 2019 was estimated at 9.3 per cent, but it remained higher over average in Barbados (13.4); St Kitts and Nevis (13.3); Antigua and Barbuda (13.1); Dominica, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines (11.6), and Grenada (10.7),” he said.
    Seepersad said the data was collected between 2002 and 2020, and noted the food import bill for the region peaked in 2013 at US$5.9 billion, but by 2019/2020 it had reduced to $5.1 billion.
    Cereals remained the biggest import into the region at $612 million; miscellaneous edible preparations including a host of manufactured processed foods stood at $503 million; beverages, spirits and vinegar cost $494 million; meats and edibles were $478 million; while processed foods inclusive of preparation of meats and fish was $209 million.
    Cost of oils and fats
    Oils and fats cost the region $217 million, inclusive of palm oil ($122 million); soya bean oil ($37 million); edible mixtures and preparations of animal fats ($29 million); and margarine ($29 million). Diary produce and eggs which were minimally processed cost $405 million; cheese ($91 million); grated cheese ($25 million); milk and cream ($62 million); and concentrated and dried products ($35 million).
    But, Seepersad noted
    stimulants, inclusive of cigarettes and tobacco, were imported at a cost of $115 million during the 18-year period.
    A large amount of baker wares including bread, pastries, and biscuits were imported at $99 million annually, out of a total of $1.2 billion.
    “In the case of breads, pastries and baker wares, Bahamas was the number one importer, Jamaica second and Trinidad and Tobago third. Sweet biscuits cost ($74 million), with Haiti recorded the top importer, followed by Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
    Additionally, Seepersad said water and sweetened beverages cost the region $72 million, with Jamaica being the highest importer, followed by Barbados and then Guyana. He said imports peaked for sugar sweetened beverages in 2014, and while there had been some decline, imports in that area remained high.
    Prepared potatoes ($45 million) saw Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados as the top three importers.
    Noting a recent call by heads of government to reduce food imports by 25 per cent by 2025, Seepersad questioned what foods should be the focus.
    “Quite a lot of processed foods are being imported, and we are in an upward consumption expenditure in the region. It’s not just having the money to import and the expenditure, we must tie this to the health of the population. If we cannot maintain a healthy population, we would not be able to get that growth and development we want and expect in the Caribbean. If we continue to import like this, we might have 50 per cent of our population impacted in terms of growth rate and development,” he said.
    (RA)


    Source: Nation

  11. David Avatar
    David

    Antigua to serve as hub for banana trade

    https://www.nationnews.com/2022/04/06/antigua-serve-hub-banana-trade/

  12. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Blogmaster:

    Do you have any ideas’ how Barbados can cushion the economic impact of skyrocketing oil prices on the international market until it starts to drill offshore?

    Now that Guyana is awash in and with oil in high demand, why can’t there be a Caricom Accord to allow fellow non-oil producing members to benefit from this ‘brotherly’ bonanza the same way Bajan black-belly farmers and others have been promised they will reap the sweets of the joint agricultural accords with Guyana and its Caricom neighbour Suriname.

    Such a move to show genuine economic love of the Samaritan kind should gladden the heart of William Skinner by making Barrow’s dream of regional economic cooperation come true.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    There is not much we can do because government cannot afford to give up revenue at this time. Citizens in neighborhoods must band together and car pool, take public transportation and eliminate inessential travel. On the commercial side it maybe where government can subsidize to reduce cost of goods.

  14. David Avatar
    David

    Barbados signs agreements with Suriname, Guyana
    THE PROSPECTS of greater economic collaboration involving Barbados, Guyana and Suriname were deepened earlier this week as Barbados signed two new bilateral agreements with the two CARICOM neighbours.
    The agreements provide for enhanced cooperation between the governments and the exploitation of opportunities in several areas of economic activity for the people of the three countries.
    Strategic dialogue
    The Agreement for a Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform between Barbados and Suriname was signed by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi at the Presidential Palace in Paramaribo on Monday night.
    The Barbados agreement with Guyana was signed during a break from talks at the 43rd Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government yesterday.
    Additionally, the St Barnabas Accord, which was negotiated in Barbados and signed in Suriname yesterday, provides for interaction between the two countries, which includes agriculture, tourism, mining, trade, energy and education.
    Responding to the assurance from the Surinamese president that he would hold his ministers and officers to a standard that would ensure the people of the two countries receive maximum benefit from the agreement, Mottley pointed out that people of both countries had already begun to avail themselves of the benefits to be derived to such mutual collaboration.
    “The truth is that we have seen already substantive engagement between our private sectors. We’ve seen substantive engagement with ordinary people in sports and in other areas. And we are also seeing a very strong and continuous relationship with the
    government and people of Suriname because we believe that we have an obligation to work with people in our neighbourhood,” Mottley said.
    Major player
    She added: “It is only language and history that have separated us thus far. And we have come to this point over the last few years to say that that should no longer be a barrier. Suriname is a major player in fisheries. Suriname is the location of CAHFSA [Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency], which is responsible for the regulation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures within our community. If we want to expand our trade in food, if we want to have food security, CAHFSA is going to play a critical role in allowing us to be able to do so.”
    The Prime Minister gave the assurance that Barbados would share what little it has with its neighbours in Suriname, who were badly affected by flooding in recent weeks, and she stressed the mantra “today for you, tomorrow for me”.

    Source; Nation

  15. AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2022 – Closer Ties a Must | Barbados Underground

    […] we hope to see bear fruit in the coming weeks and months mentioned in a previous blog – Government Initiatives to Address Food Supply – The St. Barnabas Accord. Last week Minister of Agriculture reported there is a plan to slash food import bill by 20% when a […]

  16. David Avatar
    David

    SHEEP ‘DIP’
    FARMERS OPPOSE GUYANA BLACKBELLY BREEDING

    By Sheria Brathwaite

    Sheep farmers have voiced strong opposition to a joint venture with Guyana aimed at replenishing declining numbers of the indigenous Blackbelly sheep, citing concerns over transparency and questioning the programme’s effectiveness.
    The initiative, launched in 2022, involves exporting 1 000 Barbadian sheep to Guyana for breeding and meat production, with carcasses and sheep skins to be sent back to Barbados. But Rommel Parris, president of the Barbados Sheep Farmers Inc., told Barbados TODAY that many farmers are sceptical of the project’s progress and outcomes.
    “A lot of farmers are not in favour of exportation to Guyana right now. It’s a major concern across the board,” Parris said. He highlighted a lack of empirical data and detailed reports: “We are not seeing any pictures, any videos of the animals who have gone down from the beginning. We have no empirical data to go on, no detailed reports.”
    Despite assurances from Blackbelly sheep expert Dr Leroy McClean, the consultant to the Ministry of Agriculture leading the programme, that progress was satisfactory, Parris expressed doubts about the information being relayed. “We’re not seeing how they are striving, if they are striving. What environment are these animals being kept in, and so on?”
    Parris also claimed that the sheep exported to Guyana were primarily sourced from farmers going out of business or facing market challenges, rather than those actively supporting the initiative. “It was not an indication from farmers that they are going to take part in the project,” he said.
    “Most of the sheep that went down, as I was informed, were bought from farmers and not from Greenland Livestock Research Station. What happened was that farmers who were going out of business they bought the sheep from. Those sheep were tested and then exported,” Parris said. “The farmers were either going out of business or did not have a market at that particular time for their animals and this was the only market available.
    “They were offering a pretty penny and sometimes when it comes to having money in your pocket, one has to think about paying utilities and making sure your house is in order and functioning. So farmers caught at it. But it is not something that farmers have gone into. It is more of a circumstance that they participated.”
    The sheep farmers’ spokesman advocated for a homegrown initiative to improve the industry, suggesting an incentive programme for registered Blackbelly sheep farmers similar to those in the pig and dairy industries. “Once a no-teeth Blackbelly ewe is registered and a farmer wants to breed that ewe or they bred that ewe, as long as that ewe has access to land, then we would look at giving some kind of incentive,” Parris proposed.
    Concerns were also raised about the costeffectiveness of the Guyana programme, with Parris noting expenses related to transport, quarantine, and butchering. He warned that these costs could lead to higher prices for consumers when the lamb cuts are shipped back to Barbados.
    Despite Barbados Blackbelly lamb being hailed for producing superior meat to that of wool sheep, this country imports 1.3 million kilogrammes of lamb, primarily from New Zealand, at a cost of $14 million. Parris argued that the funds allocated to the Guyana project could have been better invested in local farmers and a comprehensive breeding programme.
    Inbreeding remains a significant challenge for the Barbados Blackbelly sheep population, according to Parris. He stressed the importance of improved record-keeping and the potential use of artificial insemination and embryo transfer technology to address this issue.
    Meanwhile, the Barbados Agricultural Society is set to launch a census in August to determine the current population size of sheep on the island, which could inform future breeding strategies.
    Parris highlighted inbreeding as a major hurdle in the development of the livestock.
    “Inbreeding has been a problem throughout the years and it will be a problem no matter what,” he told Barbados TODAY.
    “The Barbados Blackbelly sheep carries a characteristic which is unique and though people will try to breed along a certain line, you cannot go outside this characteristic. Because the gene pool is so small, we’ve never really used the aspects of artificial insemination to its fullest or the embryo transfer technology. Inbreeding will happen also because of the lack of record-keeping. This is why registration and a census is important.”

    sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

  17. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    Didn’t read the whole thing. Not going to read it either.

    Didn’t the sheep leave the pen and hitched a boat ride? Too late to cry.

    From the very start I was against this Guyana program and I didn’t have a single sheep. I suspect many farmers felt the same way but kept their big mouth shut. Too late to cry.

  18. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    For the record… Strongly opposed to sending our boys to Haiti

    When you start to cry.. I will no be joining you. You will find an old, cold and cruel heart.

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