CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) —The nine nation Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has received regional recognition for its support to agriculture health and food safety in the Caribbean.

The award was presented to the regional body by Caribbean Plant Health Directors (CPHD) at the 10th Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum held in the Dominican Republic.

During the three day conference, the OECS was also recognised for its role in plant protection initiatives leading to enhanced agricultural development, trade and innovation in the region.

The directors said the Caribbean is known for its vital and diverse agriculture and natural resources, and protecting them from potentially devastating invasive pests and diseases is critical to the health and prosperity of the region.

The meeting also focused on bolstering the ability of member countries to identify, exclude, and respond to pests and diseases that threaten regional agriculture and natural resources and to resolve issues that might impede the trade of Caribbean agricultural products regionally and internationally.

The Commission was represented by George Alcee, the Programme Officer for Agriculture in the OECS.

“Receiving an award at that level is a great achievement for the Commission and the region. It is recognition of all the endeavors which were undertaken to safeguard the Eastern Caribbean from pest and invasive species.

“We still continue to work to enhance trade and strengthen capacity of the quarantine infrastructure and border control agencies to achieve our goal. The USDA is also currently speaking to the OECS to offer support to the Shipping initiative,” Alcee noted.

According to the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General the award was a symbol of the extended efforts made by all agricultural professionals in the region to safeguard the sector as a driver of economic growth.

“Sustainable agricultural development is an OECS priority. Through our virtual working groups we have been able to achieve major advancements in plant protection initiatives to ultimately safeguard and enhance agricultural trade within the region.

“Furthermore, agricultural professionals are now connected through an app where they can address in real time the fulfilment of shipment quotas for international trade, the extension of purchasing links with Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, the United States and Canada or the improvement phytosanitary standards,”  Jules said.