A Revised Medium Term Plan has been adopted by the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) at their 58th Meeting which was held last week in Belize City, Belize.

The Board is comprised of regional representatives from the agriculture sector, financial institution, and the academia and is responsible for the approval of the work programmes for the Institute, the general operation of the Institute, and implements the general policies of the Institute.

In this regard, the Board may also give the Executive Director general instructions for the implementation of such policies.

The 2005 – 2007 Plan is focused on the development of technologies within the ambit of Research and Development (R&D) and is designed to further improve good sustainable agricultural practices, preservation and enhancement of our natural resources base and increase competitiveness of the agri-food sector. It encompasses mandates from the Institute’s Strategic Framework that are vital to CARDI.

The Plan presented to the Directors is in keeping with the Institute’s continued quest to reposition itself to respond to the dynamic needs of the agriculture and food sector of the Caribbean Community particularly with respect to technologies generated, trade and environmental considerations. It is designed to target improved efficiency and productivity at the farmer level as well as the post harvest and value added development that will make products attractive to the consumer.

The Executive Director, Dr Wendel Parham stated that CARDI would continue to adhere and pursue sustainable technologies that increase the competitiveness of our agriculture without compromising biodiversity, biosafety and human health.

At the meeting, the Board of Directors also discussed critical issues aimed at supporting the agriculture sector in the CARICOM region in achieving greater production, efficiencies, diversification and global competitiveness such as the Jagdeo Initiative, the Caribbean Regional Invasive Species Intervention Strategy (CRISIS) and development in the area of Biotechnology.

CARDI has been given the responsibility to develop policies by the CARICOM Secretariat on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and also chairs the Working Group on Invasive Species in the greater Caribbean region.

CARDI is the lead agency for Research and Development in the agriculture sector for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and is also responsible under the (CARICOM) Regional Transformation Programme (RTP) for Technology Generation, Validation and Transfer, Market Development and Integrated Production and Market Programmes.

Under the RTP, CARDI is particularly responsive for leading the commodity and thematic areas of Hot Pepper, Sweet Potato, Small Ruminants and Market Development.

The Executive Director also pointed out that other issues of significant importance that received in-depth and comprehensive deliberations included the status of payments by Member Governments, staff compensation, liabilities, and negotiations which are slated for the agenda at the upcoming Special Meeting of the Board of Governors of CARDI that will be convened next month on the 7 October 2005 in St Kitts Nevis. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr Keith Archibald and the Executive Director, Dr Parham will attend this meeting.

While in Belize, the Board of Directors visited a comprehensive food production system in which CARDI through its Belize CARDI Country Representative/Agronomist Mr Anil Sinha and his staff provide technical support and advice that assisted the Mennonite Community to realise self-sufficiency that generate 75 percent of agricultural production in Belize.

The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) was established in 1975 by Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to meet the agricultural research and development needs of the Region.

The member countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.