I am pleased to report to the people of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that the 121st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED – Agriculture), held during Caribbean Week of Agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis, has been a resounding success.
As Chairman, I had the privilege of presiding over a meeting that addressed and resolved every item on the agenda, including those that were most challenging. This demonstrates the determination of our region’s leadership to make progress on the critical issues facing Caribbean agriculture and food security.
Three agenda items stand out as landmark achievements for CARICOM:
1. Agreement on the Pre-Clearance Mechanism for Goods
This mechanism will allow for freer movement of goods across our region by harmonising and simplifying customs processes. It represents an historic achievement for CARICOM, as it removes long-standing obstacles to inter-regional trade. By easing trade among member states, we are giving our farmers, producers, and traders the ability to compete more effectively, while strengthening regional supply chains.
2. Agreement on Regional Risk Analysis
We also reached consensus on an agreement to ensure there is clarity in approach for any regional mechanism for risk analysis and any requests for external risk analysis. This step provides transparency, fairness, and predictability in how agricultural goods move across borders. Importantly, it eliminates unnecessary barriers and ensures that risk assessments are conducted in a consistent and balanced way that supports regional trade rather than hinders it.
3. Agreement on an E-Agriculture Strategy
The meeting further endorsed an e-agriculture strategy that will allow for the electronic sharing of marketing information and the online marketing of goods across the Region. This modernisation of agricultural trade will ensure that producers, buyers, and consumers have greater access to real-time information, creating more efficient markets and opening new opportunities for regional agribusiness.
These three agreements represent significant progress for CARICOM. They will enable smoother, more efficient trade flows between our member states while strengthening the framework for agricultural development across the Region. In addition, they directly support our collective objective of reducing the Region’s food import bill from extra-regional sources by 25% by the year 2030. This target, which we set together as a Region, can now be achieved through the measures adopted at this meeting.
For too long, CARICOM has been constrained by barriers that limited the free movement of goods among ourselves, while our food import bill continued to grow. By addressing these challenges head-on, COTED – Agriculture has taken decisive steps toward ensuring food and nutrition security for our people, reducing our dependence on external markets, and strengthening our sovereignty.
As Chairman of the 121st Special Meeting of COTED – Agriculture, I wish to commend my fellow Ministers, officials, and technical experts for their constructive contributions and spirit of cooperation. The results of this meeting prove that when we work together with a common purpose, we can deliver transformative outcomes for our region.
The decisions taken in St. Kitts and Nevis are historic. They will shape the future of regional trade, empower our farmers and agribusinesses, and create opportunities for our people. This is what regional integration is about—building a stronger Caribbean Community that can thrive in the global economy while ensuring prosperity and food security for all.
Hon. Indar Weir
Chairman of the 121st Special Meeting of COTED – Agriculture
See more photos of the Meeting here.
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