John Myers Jr., Farmers Weekly Coordinator
Franklyn
DELANO FRANKLYN, State Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, said the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) will be the main vehicle that will allow farmers, as well as other members of the productive sector, to compete effectively against competition from larger countries.
Mr. Franklyn, who was speaking at the inaugural 'Power Breakfast' meeting with sector leaders in the agricultural sector at the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) head office in Kingston recently, explained that "the heart and soul of what is driving international trade and production is that of competition and it simply means that every farmer ... will have to look at their productive
capacity."
BIGGER MARKETS
He emphasised that "We need to go for bigger markets, (however), Jamaica in and by itself will not be able to do it and that is one of the central reasons why we are establishing the Caribbean Single and Economy."
According to Mr. Franklyn, the CSME will allow the region to market itself as a single entity to enable effective penetration of larger markets such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the wider international market. He urged sector leaders to not only focus on markets within the CSME, but to examine the possibilities for wider markets such as the Caribbean diaspora.
"We have been experiencing, over the last few years, increased competition in literally every area, not just agriculture," he noted. Furthermore, Mr. Franklyn pointed out that, over the years, the region has been experiencing a slow reduction of certain privileges that once existed for agricultural produce from the Caribbean on the international market, and cited the proposed reduction in the preferential price arrangement for sugar and bananas. He noted that those involved in the sector will have to start rethinking their strategies in order to survive and become competitive.
