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Barbados PM warns of food supply disruption

Published:Monday | August 22, 2022 | 12:07 AM
Mia Mottley
Mia Mottley

PORT-OF-SPAIN (CMC):

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, has warned of more disruption to the food supply into next year, as a result of droughts in North America, China and other parts of the world.

Speaking at the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo II at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Mottley stressed that a reorganisation of plans beyond the medium term is imperative.

“It therefore means that our plans cannot only be medium-term plans to substitute feed, which we must do, as Guyana is planning to do under the distinguished leadership of my brother, President [Dr Irfaan] Ali, by 2025, with corn and soya production being ramped up to scale,” she stated.

“We don’t have the luxury of that, because we have a population that is feeling the vagaries and the negative consequences of rampant inflation. But inflation is going to also reinforce the fact that the lack of access is going to be there because of these droughts.”

Mottley repeated the urgency for regional farmers to grow six- and 12-weeks crops, and suggested that they also focus on rearing six-weeks livestock to meet the needs of the region.

“None of us can avoid the reality that our people must eat. And the reality is that there are things that we can do and that we have done in our past to ensure survival.

“And we are there again. Whether it is rabbits or chickens, whether it is fishing, whether it is new forays, as we are doing in Barbados in aquaculture, we have the responsibility for urgent action today,” she said.

Since the hosting of the Guyana forum, Mottley shared that regional heads had been asked to formulate a framework for financing. She added that Barbados had worked assiduously with the financiers, as well as with regional and international organisations, to effect this.

Mottley also reiterated the importance of tackling the issue of air and maritime transportation, pointing out that regional heads were working on these areas, which she emphasised was a work in progress.