Cayman hosts regional agriculture conference
Silver thatch products on display
(CNS Local Life): Cayman’s natural bounty was on display at the opening of the 14th annual Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) Monday, 24 October. The Cayman Islands government is hosting the CWA, themed “Investing in Food and Agriculture” and running through Friday, 28 October. Agriculture Minister Kurt Tibbetts, in a message on the CWA website, described the week as “an important forum for the discussion of opportunities and issues facing the region’s agriculture sector”.
At the opening event, some of Cayman’s entrepreneurs and craftspeople displayed their goods, including silver thatch creations, Caymanite jewellery, pepper jelly, natural skin-care items and coconut products.
Attendees from around the region comprise farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, policy-makers, development partners and representatives from producer organisations, financial institutions, the private sector and the tourist and hospitality trade.
As part of the first day’s agenda, participants sampled local coconut water and jelly at an evening welcome reception while earlier establishing a regional “coconut plan”, in a forum led by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute. The components of this plan range from creating investment profiles for potential financiers, and establishing seed banks for top varieties, to developing production and marketing components.
The week continues with various meetings on agricultural-related topics including separate invitation-only sessions for Council for Trade and Economic Development officials and agriculture ministers.
The public is invited to a marketplace event being held all day Thursday, 27 October, at Camana Bay’s Arts and Recreation Centre, where more than 60 vendor booths will display goods and services relating to the regional agriculture sector.
Category: Agriculture
