00:00Climate change, rising food prices, and growing import bills are placing increasing pressure on Caribbean agriculture.
00:08Those challenges were front and center at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute's symposium,
00:15where experts explored innovative solutions for building more resilient food systems.
00:21Rafi Puran Maraj, advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, says,
00:26Agriculture today extends far beyond food production.
00:30Food security is national security.
00:34This simple but profound reality continues to shape the policy direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
00:42It is also why scientific research has become indispensable to the future of our agricultural sector.
00:50The symposium also highlighted research that is already producing tangible results across the region
00:55for new crop being tested in Grenada to improve the farming practices
01:00that have significantly increased cassava and sweet potato yields in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:07Grenada's Minister for Economic Development, Planning, Agriculture and Lands,
01:12and Chairman of Cady's Board of Governors, Lennox Andrews,
01:16says continued progress will depend on sustained investment in research.
01:21High-quality research requires consistent, predictable, and appropriate funding.
01:28Science, my friends, is an investment.
01:32It is not an expense.
01:35It is an investment in the resilience of our food system,
01:39the livelihoods of our rural communities, and the security of our region.
01:44Regional leaders will say stronger partnerships between researchers, policymakers, and the farmers
01:51will be key to ensuring Caribbean agriculture remains productive, competitive, and resilient
01:56in the face of future challenges.
01:59Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
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