Category: CANA News

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) agriculture ministers meet here on Tuesday focusing on a wide range of issues including the status and trends in fisheries and aquaculture production, trade, and employment; initiatives to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and a new grievance redress mechanism for the Belize-based Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM).

The meeting forms part of the activities for the 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA 2025) that got underway here on Monday with St. Kitts and Nevis Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Samal Duggins, highlighting the central role of agriculture in regional development and resilience.

Agriculture Minister, Samal Duggins, addressing the opening of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA 2025)

‘Agriculture is not just another sector. It is the very lifeblood of our people. It is the guarantee that every family can access healthy and nutritious food,’ he said in his feature address, reflecting also on the CWA 2025 theme ‘Sowing Change, Harvesting Resilience: Transforming our Caribbean Food Systems for 2025, saying that the ‘seeds we plant here today, the policies we shape, the partnerships we build, will determine the resilience and the prosperity that we shall reap tomorrow’.

He urged regional leaders to confront long-standing challenges and elevate the agricultural agenda.

‘Our region has not always given agriculture the priority it deserves. Too often, it has been seen as a last resort, rather than recognised as a pillar of sovereignty and a pillar of growth,’ Duggins said, outlining efforts being made locally including the food import reduction programme, which prioritises local investment to increase the production of high-demand crops such as bananas, plantains, coconuts, and pineapples..

‘We are scaling climate-smart practices, expanding agro-processing, and empowering our youth and women to lead in this very transformation,’ he said, acknowledging the importance of unified regional efforts and emphasising the value of South-South cooperation, particularly through strengthening relationships with African nations.

He said the twin island Federation has been actively forging closer ties with countries like Nigeria and that such South-South collaboration enables shared learning in climate-smart agriculture, the creation of cross-continental value chains, and the development of deeper trade and innovation networks.

The agriculture ministers meeting, which will be chaired by Anguilla’s Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, Lands, Planning, Water, and Natural Resources, Kyle Hodge, will also discuss a regional training and capacity needs assessment being undertaken by the CRFM with support from GRÓ-Fisheries Training Programme (FTP), under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as well as south-south cooperation with China.

The ministers will also receive updates and provide policy guidance on regional initiatives to address climate resilience and blue economic growth. These include the Global Affairs Canada-funded Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-Fish) Project; the GEF/CAF/FAO/CRFM BE-CLME+ Project: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus (BE-CLME+); and the New Zealand Bioeconomy Science Institute: Plant and Food Research Group/CRFM Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean Project.

Meanwhile, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will this week launch its landmark Common Apiculture Policy coinciding with the 9th OECS Council of Ministers: Agriculture meeting.

The policy, developed under the EU-funded BioSPACE Programme in collaboration with regional partners, seeks to protect bees as vital pollinators while strengthening the apiculture sector through sustainable practices, standardized approaches, and research-driven strategies.

‘We are going to have a technical paper and presentation presented within CWA so this is something that will be very pertinent for people like beekeepers, people who want to get into the apiculture space and policy makers,’ said Beekeeper at the Department of Agriculture here, Monroe Tweed.

‘What it is basically it is a document about how we would like to flesh out how we (standardise) beekeeping in the region and not just in St. Kitts but this is a document that’s been building up for a number of years with baseline studies funded by Small Grant Programs (SGPs)

‘We would also like to do an IPM which is an Integrated Pest Management paper because bees have their own pests, especially in the climate that we are in. It is an agricultural venture now so we must consider that as good stewards of bees.’

As part of the celebrations, the OECS-CARICOM Caribbean Honey Show will also be featured during CWA 2025, offering patrons the opportunity to taste and purchase honey and related products, including soaps made from beeswax, honey cocktails, pastries, and more.

On Wednesday, the CRFM will partner with the local Department of Marine Resources and the National Fisherfolk Organization to convene the Caribbean Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum.

Nepal reached 122 all out in 19.5 overs against the West Indies in the third T20I of the Unity Cup here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

NEPAL 122 in 19.5 overs (Khushal Bhurtel 39, Sandeep Jora 14; Ramon Simmonds 4-15, Jediah Blades 2-20).

The World Bank Tuesday said it has approved a new project to reduce flood risk in St. Lucia’s most vulnerable communities.

The Washington-based financial institution said that the US$25 million St. Lucia Urban Resilient Flood Investment Project is expected to benefit an estimated 67,000 St. Lucians.

The bank’s International Development Association (IDA), which provides grants and zero to low-interest loans to help countries finance projects that support economic growth, reduce inequalities and improve living conditions, is funding the project.

The World Bank said St. Lucia faces serious risks from hurricanes, storm surges and heavy rainfall and that the country’s steep terrain and densely populated coastal areas make flooding a major concern, particularly as climate change leads to more intense and frequent storms.

It said flood risk is highest in St. Lucia’s low-lying coastal zones, where nearly 60 per cent of the population live and where key infrastructure like airports, the seaport and major roads are located. Castries, the capital, and Anse La Raye, a fishing village, are especially vulnerable to flooding.

‘This project equips St. Lucia with the tools it needs to better manage and reduce the risks of flooding,’ said Lilia Burunciuc, the World Bank’s Director for the Caribbean.

‘By strengthening disaster preparedness and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, Saint Lucia is taking important steps to safeguard its people, economy and vital assets from the growing impacts of climate change,’ she added.

The project aims to reduce flood risk in selected areas and strengthen the government’s ability to manage climate-related risks. Importantly, it will focus on Castries, Anse La Raye and their river basins.

‘Infrastructure investments in Castries and Anse La Raye aim to enhance resilience to flooding and climate hazards. Rather than relying solely on traditional engineering solutions like drainage improvements and flood walls, the approach also incorporates nature-based measures such as green corridors and river restoration.

‘Project investments are designed to establish economic opportunities which enable job creation. By the end of the project, 66,400 people are expected to benefit from climate-resilient infrastructure and improved government capacity for managing climate-related risks.’

The World Bank said that the project will also seek to improve the government’s capacity to manage climate impacts, support engineering designs for flood mitigation and enhancing early warning systems and community coordination.

Preparation for this project benefited from financial support from the European Union, the frame of the EU Resilient Caribbean (EUReCa) Programme, which is managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). This reflects a broader international partnership to build resilience across the Caribbean.