25% by 2025 reduction in the regional food bill

The implementation of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Strategy in member states seeks to reduce the region's large food import bill by 25% by 2025. To this end, it is planned to give special attention and priority, to crops and products that are niche in the region, these being: Poultry; Corn and Soybeans; Niche Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, red cabbage, lettuce, tomato; Fruits: honeydew, melon, soursop, pineapple, dragon fruit, strawberries, avocado, mango, coconut and citrus; Roots and Tubers: Cassava, Sweet Potato, Table Potato and Dasheen; Herbs and Spices: Ginger, Turmeric, Thyme, Chives and Marjoram; Livestock: Cattle, Sheep, Fish and Goats. So also, some of the actions planned to achieve the goal of reducing food imports are associated with increasing production and productivity, Other plans being implemented include: Market Driven Production and Intelligence; Cross Border Production and Investments; Climate Smart Agriculture; Coordination and Governance Mechanism; Digitalization of the Sector; De-risking and Financial Education of the Regional Agricultural Sector; Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Trade Related Policies.