Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ravi Ratiram, has assured that food security and sustainability are priorities of the Government.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the Regional Consultation Meeting on Tuesday, he said the Government is taking decisive steps to strengthen food security and sustainable agricultural practices.
“The Research Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries will soon introduce Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) testing, with newly acquired equipment to carry out pesticide residue testing for a wide range of chemicals. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that agricultural produce meets the highest safety standards.”
Minister Ratiram acknowledged the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) as a trusted partner of the Ministry for many years. He highlighted the importance of partnership in this process.
“Through collaboration on plant health, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and capacity building, CABI has supported our efforts to strengthen food security and agricultural trade. In this new and expanded offering on pesticide risk reduction, we see further opportunities to deepen this partnership by developing practical solutions and safeguarding our farmers, protecting consumers, and ensuring that our produce meets the highest international standards.”
The theme for this year’s meeting is “Working in Partnership for a Safe and Sustainable Future.”
CEO of CABI, Dr. Daniel Elger, explained a few ways in which the meeting will address the theme.
“So we’re going to start with a session called Planning Together, which is looking at how we extend our strategy and plans for the next three years ahead, ensuring that they take account of the needs and priorities of our member countries. Then we have a session called Achieving Impact Together, which is looking at what we’ve already delivered, both globally and in the region, against the medium-term strategy that we agreed with you three years ago. Then we have a session called Working Together, which is to look at how can we work even more effectively with you, our member countries, on your priorities.”
The Regional Consultation was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and CABI at the Hilton Trinidad Conference Centre on Tuesday.