Caribbean Times 97th Issue - Tuesday 14th February 2017

6 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Tuesday 14th February 2017
Minister Greene responds to protest over YASCO
By Marver Woodley
Just weeks after a protest
by concerned members of the
public for the completion of
the Country’s lone track and
field facility, the YASCO
Sports Complex, their cries
are being heard.
The demonstration and
passive/aggressive action has
caused the Nation’s Minister
of Sports to acknowledge
the public and do something
about the continued delay for
work to be done at the facility.
This is according to reports
that the Minister, the
Honourable EP Chet Greene
has extended his hand to
meet with the general public,
coaches, protesting groups,
coaches and all other interested
persons to meet with
him whenever they deem fit
as a group to hash over the
plans for the completion of
the facility and the reason for
the ongoing protests.
This is not the first time
the Minister has offered the
public an opportunity to let
their grievances be known
about the facility as the field
is not internationally recognized
nor is it fit for persons
specifically athletes to utilize.
The group went so far
as requesting a donation of
pass-byers to aid with the
upgrading of the grounds,
an overall act the Minister
considers as “devious” while
speaking to a local Media
House on Tuesday.
As he has extended numerous
invitations and
countless opportunities for
Minister of Sports, the Hon.,
E.P. Chet Greene
concerned participants to
converse with him on the issue,
none of which have been
utilized.
cont’d from pg 5
preparedness for export trading within
the region.” The report noted that
“Multiple handling failures along the
chain are likely the cause of the most
frustrating complaints by international
buyers.” Dr. Gordon, who oversaw
the Jamaica ackee industry’s transformation
that made it compliant with
US Food and Drug Administration
regulations in the early 2000s so that
it could gain access to the US market,
explained to IPS the obstacles facing
Caribbean exporters.
“The problem in general with all
agribusiness companies in the Caribbean
is typically lack of technical capacity
and knowledge of the requirements
and lack of the resources to implement
the systems as required,” he said.
However, Dr. Gordon said, “The
cultural change that is required is probably
the biggest single limitation to implementing
and sustaining certification
systems…If the management and ownership
[of agribusinesses] do not have
a vision of becoming global players
then the effort and resources required
are going to seem unattainable and not
good value for money. A lot of firms
have issues with understanding the value
for money proposition of embarking
on a certification programme.”
The briefing paper “SPS measures
lead to high costs and losses for developing
countries”, published not long
after the EU mandated HACCP certification
for all exporters to the EU, noted
that “As the income level of developing
countries is far smaller, …the opportunity
cost of compliance is relatively far
higher than that for developed country
exporters.
“The rapid change in SPS measures,
regulations and notifications of new
regulations is another problem facing
developing countries in preparing for
compliance. It also imposes extra costs
on investors and exporters and creates
uncertainty for them.”
However, the paper’s author concluded,
“while the cost of compliance
is high, the cost of lack of compliance
is even higher” because of loss of market
share or reduced access to markets.
Dr. Gordon revealed that in 2010,
the Caribbean had the second highest
level of food rejections of any region at
US ports of entry.
A March 2016 FAO report highlighted
other issues hindering Caribbean
agribusinesses in their efforts to
export. The report states: “A number
of deep-seated challenges inhibit Caribbean
agriculture diversification and
competitiveness: the small and fragmented
nature of most farm units; the
absence of strong farmer grass-roots
organizations; the cost of agricultural
labor; the ageing demographics of Caribbean
farmers; an education system
that does not prepare youth to seek employment
opportunities in the agricultural
sector; and extension systems that
have historically focused on managing
the traditional export crops.”
The problem of small farm units is
being addressed head on, said CABA’s
president Vassel Stewart, with the formation
of CABEXCO, a new umbrella
organisation for SMEs in the Caricom
agribusiness sector, which will jointly
procure raw materials and services as
well as market its members’ products
and reach out to new buyers.
The resulting economies of scale
will also hopefully make it easier to
bear the cost of becoming compliant
with US and EU food export regulations.
(Caribbean360)