Agri experts discuss trade threats

APPROXIMATELY 100 persons are expected to gather at the Hilton Trinidad  and Conference Centre from today to deliberate on the threats to US-Caribbean trade from invasive species, such as the pink mealy bug and the virus which causes avian influenza. The pink mealy bug was an unwelcome newcomer to the Caribbean in the 1990s and its presence negatively affected agricultural production with sorrel and ochro being among the crops affected. Earlier this year, food production in Trinidad and Tobago took another blow when imported avian influenza could only be eradicated by destroying the whole flock of a chicken farm. Then a few weeks later, the Ministry of Agriculture moved quickly to suspend beef imports from parts of the US because of disease problems in that country.

In Britain a couple of years ago, outbreaks of foot and mouth disease had to be controlled by slaughtering thousands of animals and burning the carcases. In some Caribbean countries a giant African snail has invaded and is destroying food crops. This type of event is becoming almost commonplace as movement of people and plant materials around the world continues to increase. No matter how vigilant the quarantine services, the sheer volumes of these movements, and also the failure by some people to understand that movement of plants and animals can be dangerous, present a great challenge.   

When a country is hit by a new pest or disease, one of the immediate impacts is a clamp on agricultural trade. When Trinidad was hit by the mealy bug, Barbados immediately placed a ban on certain types of imports from this country. The meeting, entitled “Facilitating Safer US-Caribbean Trade: Invasive Species Issues” is aimed at developing a Caribbean regional safeguarding strategy to prevent invasive species entering the region, and to interdict these that do enter. In 1999 the US National Board advised the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to place greater emphasis on offshore safeguarding strategies to supplement actions at the port of entry. In order for trade in agricultural commodities between the USA and Trinidad and Tobago and the other CARICOM countries to expand, a regional safeguarding strategy is needed. The workshop is being organised by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), UWI, CAB International and the University of Florida, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, IICA, FAO and CDB.

Agriculture Minister Jarette Narine will open today’s proceedings. Officials are expected from the CARICOM Secretariat and at least 17 Caribbean countries. Local representation from the organising and supporting bodies is expected, as well as TIDCO and various private sector groupings. US representation will include government, academic, wildlife and farming groups. Canada will be sending a plant protection official. At the end of the three days it  is expected that a strategy will be developed and a team selected to ensure that the strategy is taken forward and implemented.