Carib Scope

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  • Monkey raids on farms persist as ministry seeks regional, AI solutions

    Monkey raids on farms persist as ministry seeks regional, AI solutions

    Barbados’ agricultural sector is grappling with an escalating crisis of rampant monkey raids on commercial and small-scale farms, pushing the country’s Ministry of Agriculture to pursue cross-regional knowledge sharing and cutting-edge artificial intelligence interventions to curb mounting farmer losses. Agriculture Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight openly admitted Wednesday during a press briefing at the ministry’s Graeme Hall headquarters that there is no silver bullet for this decades-long problem, which has plagued local farming alongside persistent praedial crop larceny for generations.

    Calling both issues systemic challenges that have undermined agricultural productivity for decades, the minister emphasized that neither monkey-related crop destruction nor crop theft can be resolved with a single, quick intervention. To build a context-appropriate solution, Dr. Munro-Knight has spent recent months researching mitigation strategies used across neighboring Caribbean and South American nations, including on official visits to Guyana and Suriname. She found that monkey crop raids are a shared struggle across the region: no country has yet developed a one-size-fits-all definitive solution, with territories testing a range of differing approaches to manage the problem.

    Currently, the Barbados Ministry of Agriculture is evaluating a suite of technology-driven mitigation tools, with artificial intelligence at the core of its exploratory work. Existing AI-powered options already deployed in other regions include AI-integrated drone monitoring, smart perimeter fencing that sends real-time alerts of intruding primates, and non-lethal deterrent systems that fire low-impact pellet sprays to scare monkeys away without causing harm. The minister stressed that cost accessibility is a non-negotiable factor during the evaluation process, noting that any effective solution must be affordable for working farmers to deliver real benefit.

    To advance this work, the ministry will convene a closed expert stakeholder meeting in the second week of June, bringing together internal ministry teams, external agricultural partners, environmental experts and other relevant stakeholders to review existing mitigation measures and hash out new potential solutions that address both monkey damage and praedial larceny simultaneously.

    Dr. Munro-Knight also addressed widespread public debate surrounding monkey culling, noting that while the government has already increased the financial bounty for approved culling operations, Barbados remains committed to balancing crop protection goals with humane wildlife management. She added that even with expanded culling, the current approach cannot address the scale of the primate population that is driving widespread crop damage across the island.

    In a step to build better data for evidence-based policy, the ministry launched a new agricultural data collection platform on Wednesday in partnership with the state-owned Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC). Right now, officials lack the comprehensive data needed to accurately calculate the total economic loss that monkey raids inflict on the local agricultural sector each year. The new platform is designed to fix this gap by enabling systematic, comprehensive data collection in collaboration with local farming communities, giving officials clear figures to guide future strategy and resource allocation.

    Monkey raids often leave crops damaged beyond recovery, forcing many local farmers to absorb significant, uncompensated financial losses year after year. Closing out her remarks, Dr. Munro-Knight underlined that solving the crisis cannot fall to the Ministry of Agriculture alone. Long-term sustainable solutions will require coordinated cross-agency collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, local academic institutions, and international development partners to deliver results that work for both farmers and wildlife.

  • President Simons aangekomen in Brazilië voor gesprekken over economie, landbouw en veiligheid

    President Simons aangekomen in Brazilië voor gesprekken over economie, landbouw en veiligheid

    Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons has touched down in Brazil for a high-stakes official working visit focused on expanding bilateral collaboration across multiple key policy areas, according to official government announcements. The visit, which kicked off after months of detailed pre-negotiations between the two nations, will center on deepening economic partnerships, advancing agricultural development, boosting cross-border security, and advancing regional integration across South America.

    Simons is not traveling alone: she is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes five cabinet ministers and a team of technical specialists, covering every priority sector set for the talks. The delegation includes Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation Minister Melvin Bouva, Transport, Communication and Tourism Minister Raymond Landveld, Social Affairs and Housing Minister Diana Pokie, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Mike Noersalim, and Defense Minister Uraiqit Ramsaran.

    The centerpiece of the Brazil trip will be a formal meeting between Simons and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, where the two leaders are set to lay the foundational framework for future strategic cooperation between Suriname and Brazil. Ahead of the presidential summit, Surinamese ministers have already held preliminary working sessions with their Brazilian counterparts to hash out details of concrete joint projects, streamlining negotiations ahead of the leaders’ meeting.

    Each minister will lead sector-specific discussions aligned with their portfolios. Landveld will prioritize upgrading direct air connectivity between the two countries to boost trade and tourism flows. Pokie will travel to Brazil to study the country’s landmark Bolsa Familia social welfare program, with an eye toward adapting successful frameworks for Suriname’s own social policy initiatives. Noersalim will lead talks on advancing sustainable agricultural development, expanding farmer training programs, and coordinating regional responses to cassava witches’ broom disease, a devastating pathogen that threatens cassava production across the entire region. For the defense portfolio, discussions will focus on enhancing joint border patrols, protecting shared border territories, and securing shared airspace against transnational security threats.

    Following the conclusion of her official engagements in Brazil, Simons and her full delegation will travel onward to the Dominican Republic for a second leg of the overseas trip. This visit is framed as primarily exploratory and economic, with a core goal of attracting new foreign direct investment to Suriname, particularly in the agricultural and tourism sectors.

    Simons will use the Dominican Republic leg to explore new models of collaboration between Suriname’s landowners, national government, and international investors that can drive growth in agricultural output and expand Suriname’s tourism footprint. The presidential delegation is scheduled to return to Suriname on June 2 following the conclusion of both overseas engagements.

  • Community policing initiative removes derelict vehicles from Coco Bottom and Goodwill

    Community policing initiative removes derelict vehicles from Coco Bottom and Goodwill

    A coordinated clean-up initiative across two residential areas in Dominica has successfully cleared dozens of derelict abandoned vehicles, marking a key step forward in the island nation’s push for safer, healthier public spaces. The operation, carried out across the Coco Bottom and Goodwill communities, brought together multiple governmental and response organizations to address the long-standing issue of unclaimed vehicles blighting residential neighborhoods. Leading the effort was the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF), which partnered with the Solid Waste Division, the National Authorizing Office, and Rapid Response Recovery to execute the removal work.

    This initiative is not an isolated clean-up, but a core component of the CDPF’s broader Community Policing Strategy, a framework designed to foster collaborative public safety work between law enforcement, local stakeholders, and community members. The strategy centers on proactive problem-solving rather than reactive response, targeting visible environmental and safety hazards that erode quality of life for local residents.

    Law enforcement and public health officials have outlined a wide range of risks posed by derelict vehicles left on public roads, sidewalks, and community green spaces. Beyond the obvious aesthetic blight of decaying vehicles, these abandoned units create hidden public health threats: they frequently collect stagnant rainwater, creating ideal breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, while decaying interiors and accumulated waste also attract rodent populations that can spread pathogens to nearby homes.

    Safety risks extend far beyond public health, officials added. Abandoned vehicles often block narrow residential roads and critical pedestrian pathways, creating hazards for drivers, cyclists, and walking residents, particularly children and elderly community members. In some cases, law enforcement has documented that these unused vehicles are repurposed as hiding spots for illegal activity, ranging from drug storage to trespassing, undermining community safety.

    Environmental and fire risks add another layer of concern. Leaking automotive fluids from decaying engine components can seep into local soil and groundwater, introducing toxic contaminants that harm local ecosystems and potentially impact residential water quality. Dry, decaying rubber and upholstery in derelict vehicles also create a significant fire hazard, especially during Dominica’s dry season, where a small spark can ignite a blaze that spreads to nearby vegetation or structures.

    Following the completion of this round of removals, the CDPF has issued a formal public advisory to all vehicle owners across Dominica. Residents who currently hold unused, non-operational vehicles on public land are urged to move and dispose of them properly through official waste channels immediately. Any unclaimed derelict vehicles remaining on public roads or community spaces after this notice will be removed by authorities without further advance warning and disposed of at the official municipal landfill, the CDPF confirmed.

    In a closing statement, the CDPF emphasized that maintaining safe, clean communities is a shared responsibility, calling for ongoing collaboration between residents, local businesses, and governmental agencies to address hazards before they escalate into larger public issues. “Let us work together to keep our communities safe, clean, and free from hazards,” the statement concluded.

  • Veteran education official pushes for more student talent platforms

    Veteran education official pushes for more student talent platforms

    As Barbados deepens its international cultural and educational collaboration networks, a seasoned senior education leader is making a final push to reshape how the country approaches student success, arguing that young people with talents outside traditional academics deserve the same resources and support to thrive as their academically gifted peers.

    Idamay Denny, a former deputy chief education officer who led the Barbadian government’s flagship education reform initiative and currently serves as a strategic policy advisor for the Ministry of Education Transformation, shared her vision Wednesday during a cultural exchange showcase at the Oceana Innovation Hub. The event brought together students from New York’s Performing Arts Technology High School (PATHS) and two local Barbadian secondary schools, St Leonard’s Boys’ School and Coleridge and Parry School, for cross-cultural collaborative performances and skill-sharing.

    Denny, who is set to officially retire from her government post this Friday, told attendees that the energy and creativity on display at the showcase reinforced her longstanding argument for overhauling education investment priorities. “What I saw here this morning reinforces what I tell the people in the ministry about investing in our students in terms of transformation,” she said. “We have to give you things that when you wake up in the morning, you want to get to school, and activities like what we saw here this morning are those kinds of activities.”

    The showcase itself is a core component of a formal partnership between the Ministry of Education Transformation and the non-profit initiative I WILL GRADUATE, which hosted the PATHS student band on the island for a week of cultural exploration and collaborative learning with local young people. A reciprocal trip for Barbadian students to visit New York is already planned for the coming months.

    A central pillar of Denny’s advocacy is challenging the outdated perception that creative fields like music and the arts are secondary extracurriculars rather than viable long-term career pathways. She emphasized that today, creative industries represent one of the most reliable routes to sustainable, well-paying employment for young people — a far cry from the norm when she was a student.

    “Once upon a time when I was a girl going to school, nobody thought that music was going to be the thing that was going to carry you somewhere in life. We saw that as a little extra thing by the side. But nowadays, music is one of the biggest pathways to sustainable employment,” she explained.

    Denny pointed to standout performances from PATHS students during the showcase to illustrate how the creative industries are evolving and opening doors for underrepresented groups. Highlighting a young female trumpet player who took the stage, she noted that the historically male-dominated professional music space is becoming far more inclusive. “Once upon a time then we saw bands… All men. But can you see from her that we can have some real good women playing in these bands. I will not be surprised if God allows me to live another 10 years to turn on my TV one day and see her playing in a band. She’s that good. Her heart is in it.”

    She also reserved praise for a young PATHS vocalist, telling the audience she has the raw talent to become a global entertainment star. “When I saw you, I thought I would see you in one of those shows X Factor, The Voice… all of those things where people go and their whole career gets made in that moment while they’re there performing. I could see you on one of those shows winning and then becoming a big-time star.”

    Across all her remarks, Denny stressed that schools must expand their definition of success to recognize and nurture skills beyond core academic subjects. “Yes, we want you to go to school and we want you to do well academically, but we don’t want you to think that academics is all. There are other things. You have other talents and we want to provide the mechanisms; we want to provide the infrastructure for you to do well with all those talents that you have,” she said.

    Even as she prepares to leave her formal government role, Denny made clear she has no plans to step away from advancing arts-integrated education and international exchange. “This is only the beginning,” she said. “As I said, I am leaving this job… But I won’t be gone from this because I want to see this develop.”

    She added that centering non-academic talent has been a core goal of her work shaping the ministry’s ongoing education transformation agenda. “We know that we have children who are not the best academically… We know there are children who have other talents. We know there are children who want to do other things. Why don’t we put the infrastructure in place to help those children do those things?”

    The exchange also offered a powerful example of how creative collaboration builds soft skills like leadership that traditional classroom learning often struggles to foster, Denny noted. During the event, a student from St Leonard’s Boys’ led a workshop teaching visiting PATHS students how to play the traditional Barbadian steel pan — an experience Denny called a clear display of emerging leadership.

    “That was leadership. We want children to develop leadership skills. It doesn’t only come from learning English and History and Science; it comes from this sort of activity too,” she said. “When I saw the boys from St Leonard’s standing beside their counterparts from PATHS, guiding them into how to play the scale on the steel pans, I saw leadership in action. These children are bright, brilliant children, but we don’t feel so. So we have to expand what we call brilliance.”

    Closing her remarks, Denny thanked the PATHS delegation for selecting Barbados as the host for the exchange initiative and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting the growing partnership, including the upcoming reciprocal student trip to New York. “I am going to spend some time helping to develop this collaboration,” she said.

  • Youth cricket programme poised to unearth cricketing talent

    Youth cricket programme poised to unearth cricketing talent

    Barbados has launched an ambitious grassroots cricket initiative designed to cultivate the next wave of elite cricketers for the nation and the wider West Indies region, with more primary schools signed up than initially targeted. The Republic Bank Five Fun Cricket Programme, officially launched Wednesday at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, is focused on introducing children aged 7 to 12 to the sport and building a deep pipeline of young talent.

    Wendell Coppin, Operations and Development Manager at the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), framed the program as a critical training ground for emerging cricketing skill. He announced that organizers have already exceeded the original 48-school target set by Cricket West Indies (CWI), with a minimum of 60 primary schools across the island now set to take part in the softball-focused initiative. The launch included a live skills demonstration from students of Bayleys Primary, one of the participating institutions.

    “It’s a softball programme within the schools and so far, again with the help of the National Sports Council, we are targeting 60 primary schools across the island,” Coppin explained. “With the help of the National Sports Council, the Barbados Cricket Association and our coaching staff, we expect that every single child in the next three years would have seen a Five for Fun programme, used a Five for Fun bat and would have held a Five for Fun ball, as a result of the support from our sponsors Republic Bank.”

    The program is structured to deliver widespread engagement and competitive growth for young participants. Inter-school matches will be held across local zones, leading up to a one-day national festival that brings together all zonal winning teams. Each competing team will field five players: three boys and two girls, ensuring inclusive participation across genders.

    Coppin emphasized that the initiative is intended to keep the talent pipeline flowing for Barbados and West Indies cricket. “We hope that the conveyor belt of cricketers within Barbados and certainly West Indies will continue, as a result of the help from the BCA, the National Sports Council, and indeed our partners at Republic Bank,” he said.

    BCA Chief Executive Officer Paul Skinner described the cross-sector collaborative effort as both timely and essential for rebuilding mass participation in cricket across Barbados. He added that the program goes far beyond just teaching athletic skills, positioning cricket as a tool for positive youth development.

    “Cricket must not only be seen as just a game, but as a vehicle that can encourage and create positive behavioural change in young people,” Skinner said. “The Republic Bank Five for Fun Cricket programme will give children the opportunity to be explorative and expressive while building core qualities of leadership, patience, teamwork, dealing with adversity, confidence, time management, commitment, responsibility, and so much more. It is truly a well rounded programme and it’s a skills development initiative that I think will go far here in Barbados.”

    For title sponsor Republic Bank (Barbados) Ltd, the initiative aligns with the firm’s long-standing commitment to youth investment and community building. Carlene Seudat, Managing Director and CEO of the bank, called the launch a proud and milestone moment for the company.

    She noted that the program has already delivered proven results in Saint Lucia, where it launched in 2021, and expressed confidence that Barbados — with its deep, celebrated cricketing heritage — would embrace the initiative with equal passion. “We’re especially proud to partner with the BCA, CWI, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sport through the National Sports Council to bring this initiative to life,” Seudat said. “Having already seen the success of Five for Fun in Saint Lucia since 2021, we are confident that Barbados will embrace it with the same energy, passion, and excellence that defines its rich cricketing legacy.”

    Beyond athletic and personal development, the program offers tangible financial benefits for all participants. Seudat announced that every child taking part will receive a Republic Bank Right Start savings account with an opening deposit of $50, to encourage early financial literacy. Additional cash incentives will reward top-performing teams, with the winning squad eligible for up to $200 per student, reinforcing values of teamwork, dedication and excellence through friendly competition.

  • New investment opportunities between Barbados, Guyana in the works

    New investment opportunities between Barbados, Guyana in the works

    Against the backdrop of 60 years of independence for both Caribbean nations, Barbados and Guyana have taken two landmark steps to deepen regional cooperation and integration, rolling out a simplified cross-border travel regime and unveiling plans for a people-centric joint investment fund.

    The flurry of activity began on Monday, when the two governments formally introduced a new travel arrangement that eliminates the requirement for passports for travel between the two countries. Under the new rule, eligible citizens of Barbados and Guyana can now cross the border using only a valid national identification card, with the full system launch scheduled for July 1 to give airlines and relevant stakeholders sufficient time to update their processes and adapt to the new regulation. The day after the announcement, during a press conference held as part of Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee independence celebrations at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados made history as the first Barbadian citizen to enter Guyana using a digital national ID under the new framework.

    Following the travel reform, the two leaders used the Tuesday press conference to announce a new initiative that goes beyond people movement: the proposed Trident Arrow Investment Fund. This innovative fund is designed to open up direct investment opportunities in major national and regional infrastructure and development projects to ordinary citizens of both countries. Unlike traditional large-scale investment vehicles that primarily attract institutional investors, the Trident Arrow fund will allow everyday people to become direct stakeholders in cross-border development, while also earning competitive returns on their contributions.

    Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley framed the dual announcements as a tangible, people-first advancement in Caribbean regional integration. “This initiative represents another significant step forward in regional cooperation, south-south collaboration, and people-centred governance,” Mottley said. “As our two nations mark 60 years of Independence, it is fitting that we take this step together. This is the kind of practical integration that Caribbean people can feel in their daily lives.” Mottley also shared her vision for scaling these reforms, expressing hope that the ID-based travel arrangement will eventually be expanded to other Caribbean countries as regional cooperation efforts continue to progress.

    Guyanese President Dr Irfaan Ali echoed this sentiment, framing the growing partnership as a core part of a broader vision for a fully connected, united Caribbean community. “As Guyana and Barbados celebrate 60 years of Independence, this initiative symbolises not only the enduring friendship between our nations, but also our shared vision for a more connected, accessible, and united Caribbean community,” Ali noted.

    Public reaction to the new travel rule in Bridgetown, Barbados’ capital, has been largely positive, with many residents describing the reform as a long-overdue change that removes a major barrier to cross-border movement. Some residents, however, pointed out that high airfare costs between the two countries still remain a significant obstacle for many casual travelers. Economist Professor Don Marshall, speaking to local outlet Barbados TODAY, framed the travel reform as more than just a convenience: he argued it will act as a powerful catalyst for deeper regional integration and increased cross-border investment, unlocking new commercial opportunities for businesses and workers across both nations.

    Additional details about the structure and implementation timeline of the Trident Arrow Investment Fund, as well as further logistical information for the new ID-based travel system, are expected to be released to the public in the coming weeks, ahead of the full July 1 rollout of the travel arrangement. The dual announcements mark a clear deepening of already growing ties between the two countries, which have steadily expanded cooperation in recent years across trade, tourism, public health, labor mobility, and cross-border investment.

  • A proactive and urgent regional strategy to address the threat of El Niño

    A proactive and urgent regional strategy to address the threat of El Niño

    As climate forecasts warn of an extreme El Niño event unfolding across the globe this year, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) — a region that underpins global food security by feeding billions of people worldwide — faces an unprecedented dual crisis: the extreme weather event paired with an ongoing global fertiliser shortage that threatens to upend agricultural production, destabilize rural economies, and erode social fabric across much of the region.

    Individually, each of these stressors already presents severe challenges for LAC’s agricultural sector. When combined, however, they threaten to create a catastrophic perfect storm that will disrupt livelihoods for millions of small and medium-sized producers and push dozens of nations closer to widespread food insecurity.

    International meteorological forecasts have placed the probability of a strong El Niño developing in 2024 at exceptionally high levels, and its impacts are projected to be deeply uneven across the region. While parts of the Southern Cone, including key grain-producing regions of Argentina and Brazil, may see boosted rainfall and recovering crop yields, the outlook is far grimmer for other parts of LAC. Central America, the Caribbean basin, and northern South America face elevated risks of extreme weather disruption: some areas will be battered by catastrophic flooding and heavy unseasonal rains, while others will grapple with prolonged, debilitating drought and chronic water scarcity. The greatest source of uncertainty, analysts note, is the potential for this El Niño to reach far greater intensity than historical events, amplifying all associated risks.

    For these at-risk subregions, the consequences are already well-documented by recent history: diminished crop yields, widespread total crop loss, reduced livestock productivity, broken agricultural supply chains, and skyrocketing food prices are all but guaranteed if no preemptive action is taken. These impacts will add up to billions of dollars in unplanned costs for both producers and consumers, and directly push millions into deeper food insecurity. Beyond immediate production shocks, the long-term ripple effects in rural communities often include unsustainable producer debt, increased out-migration from rural areas, and widespread nutritional decline among vulnerable populations.

    For small and medium-sized agricultural producers, who make up the majority of food producers across much of LAC, this overlapping crisis creates impossible planning conditions. Unpredictable climate patterns make basic decisions — what crops to plant, how much capital to invest, what volume of fertiliser to apply — far too risky to navigate confidently. When fertiliser prices rise or supply becomes unreliable, many producers have no choice but to cut fertiliser application rates, reduce the total area of land they plant, or switch to lower-yielding, less nutrient-demanding crops — all choices that immediately cut total food production and raise market prices.

    Unlike past eras when climate events like El Niño and its cool counterpart La Niña could only be tracked after they emerged, modern forecasting technology gives the region the ability to anticipate these events, their impacts, and their long-term consequences far in advance. It is no longer acceptable, argues Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), for governments and stakeholders to limit their response to reactive emergency action only after drought has taken hold, floods have destroyed communities, crops have been lost, and prices have spiked. Preemptive, early action to minimize harm is not just possible — it is an imperative.

    To that end, Ibrahim calls for immediate progress toward a coordinated, proactive regional resilience strategy. The core of this strategy must be a broad hemispheric dialogue focused on building agri-food resilience, bringing all key stakeholders to the table: national governments, multilateral international organizations, small and large producer associations, the global financial sector, academic research institutions, and private industry. The shared end goal of this dialogue is to build robust regional anticipation capabilities that can protect both agricultural production and rural livelihoods.

    In this effort, international technical cooperation bodies have a unique and critical role to play. With existing cross-border coordination frameworks, deep ties to national governments, producer networks, private industry, and multilateral financial institutions, these organizations can facilitate the creation of regional cooperation agreements, drive preemptive proactive response planning, and coordinate emergency aid and cross-border solidarity efforts if crises do emerge.

    A number of actionable public-private collaboration mechanisms can be advanced immediately to address the dual crisis. These include establishing dedicated regional coordination platforms for climate and agricultural risk management; negotiating pre-crisis supply agreements with fertiliser producers and logistics firms to guarantee consistent access to inputs for vulnerable regions; developing innovative climate-focused financial instruments in partnership with public and private banking institutions; expanding access to affordable climate risk insurance for small producers; and rolling out joint technological adaptation programs tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized agricultural operations.

    Private sector participation is not a secondary concern — it is essential to making these resilience strategies viable and scalable across the region. Chemical fertiliser companies, large agribusiness operations, commercial banks, technology developers, and agricultural export chains all hold core capabilities that are required to build shared agricultural resilience that benefits all producers.

    Another top regional priority must be strengthening early warning systems and turning raw climate data into actionable, user-friendly decision-making tools for producers. While LAC generates vast amounts of high-quality meteorological and agricultural data that holds immense value for risk planning, this information rarely reaches on-the-ground producers in a timely, accessible format — a gap that must be closed immediately to reduce avoidable losses.

    Other core objectives for regional coordination include accelerating the widespread adoption of drought-resistant crop varieties, scaling up efficient water management infrastructure and practices, and integrating advanced digital technologies — including GPS mapping, agricultural drones, and soil moisture sensors — into mainstream agronomic management strategy across the region.

    Ibrahim emphasizes that the dual crisis, while severe, also presents a generational opportunity: the chance to build a new system of agri-food governance rooted in cross-regional cooperation, innovative technology, and forward-looking risk planning, rather than reactive emergency response.

    As a region that produces food for billions of people across the globe, protecting LAC’s agricultural productive capacity is far more than a domestic economic challenge. It is a strategic priority for global development, rural social stability, and the long-term food security of the entire world.

  • Ministry of Health monitoring Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo

    Ministry of Health monitoring Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo

    An ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has prompted public health monitoring across global and regional bodies, with authorities in Grenada moving quickly to reassure residents that the Caribbean nation faces no immediate danger from the virus.

    The outbreak, which has already been confirmed by World Health Organization experts in the affected DRC region, has spurred coordinated international action to control transmission and prevent cross-border spread. In response to this developing public health event, Grenada’s Ministry of Health has activated continuous monitoring protocols, staying aligned with updates from the WHO and regional health partners.

    Dr. Shawn Charles, Grenada’s Chief Medical Officer, stated that public health officials have been fully briefed on the evolution of the outbreak and are maintaining close communication with both the WHO and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to track any changes in risk assessment. To date, the WHO has classified the risk of Ebola spreading to Caribbean nations, including Grenada, as very low, a finding that local health authorities have echoed to calm public concern.

    Charles emphasized that the Ministry of Health remains fully vigilant and unwaveringly committed to protecting the health and safety of all Grenadian residents. Active surveillance systems are already in place and fully prepared to mount a rapid response should any suspected case emerge, he added. For the time being, the ministry has issued three key public health guidelines for citizens to follow:
    First, maintain consistent preventive hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing with soap and water and adherence to safe food handling protocols. Second, stay updated on the situation through official announcements released by the Ministry of Health, rather than unvetted third-party sources. Third, avoid the spread of unconfirmed misinformation by only trusting information shared by official public health bodies.

    The ministry has committed to sharing timely, transparent updates with the public as new details about the outbreak emerge, ensuring residents remain informed without unnecessary panic. This statement follows standard public health protocol for emerging global outbreaks, prioritizing both preparedness and clear communication to maintain public confidence.

  • Youth voices drive engaging discussions at IICA Grenada’s 2026 Accountability Seminar

    Youth voices drive engaging discussions at IICA Grenada’s 2026 Accountability Seminar

    On May 20, the Grenada Cricket Stadium played host to the 2026 IICA Grenada Accountability Seminar, a landmark gathering centered on the critical theme of advancing youth development in agriculture. Bringing together young aspiring producers, government leaders, agricultural industry stakeholders, and global and regional development partners, the event carved out dedicated space to unpack actionable strategies for expanding and deepening youth engagement across Grenada’s agricultural sector, while also giving the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) a platform to share its progress on ongoing support for the island’s national agricultural development goals.

    Opening the proceedings, Gregg Rawlins, IICA’s representative for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), laid out the institution’s comprehensive eight-pillar regional strategy designed to empower and engage young people in agriculture across the Eastern Caribbean. The framework prioritizes four core priorities: strengthening interconnected youth agricultural networks, expanding equitable access to cutting-edge training and digital agricultural technology, backing youth-led agri-entrepreneurship, and shaping enabling policy environments that remove barriers to youth participation. Looking ahead to next steps in Grenada, Rawlins confirmed IICA’s commitment to partnering with the national government and other local stakeholders to launch a dedicated national youth in agriculture network, building on recent OECS regional youth-focused initiatives to drive the strategy’s implementation on the ground.

    Hon. Lennox Andrews, Grenada’s Minister for Agriculture, Lands and Forestry, reinforced the national government’s unwavering commitment to positioning young people as the central driving force of the country’s agricultural transformation. This transformation, Andrews emphasized, will be rooted in agricultural modernization, climate-smart production practices, youth entrepreneurship, and value-added processing that boosts profit margins for young producers. To deliver on this commitment, the minister outlined a suite of targeted interventions aimed at removing the most common barriers young people face: expanded access to affordable land, tailored financing options, hands-on skills development, and support for innovative production practices. He detailed ongoing skills training offerings already available through the government’s extension services and dedicated youth desk, including short courses covering crop and livestock production, protected agriculture, and industry-standard good agricultural practices. The Fisheries Division, he added, offers specialized training for young fishers in safe product handling and value-added processing, while partnerships with regional institutions including IICA and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) have already delivered training in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water management, drought and pest-resilient crop varieties, and effective use of climate data for farm planning. In a major policy announcement, Andrews revealed the government’s plan to acquire 102 acres of agricultural land, which will be subdivided into plots and made exclusively available to young people seeking to enter or expand their operations in the sector.

    Senator Seville Francis, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sport, further outlined the range of government-backed support programs designed to help young people access critical agricultural resources, skills training, and business development support. Francis noted that young farmers registered with national extension services or included on the official national farmers registry are eligible for a range of in-kind support, including free seeds, planting materials, fertilizer, irrigation equipment, one-on-one technical advice, and connections to formal regional and international markets. For young entrepreneurs with viable business plans, she added, financing and tailored entrepreneurial support for agricultural ventures is available through the Grenada Development Bank and broader national micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) support initiatives.

    A core highlight of the seminar was its open, interactive format, which gave young farmers and agri-entrepreneurs direct access to policymakers and development partners to raise the specific challenges they face and collaborate on solutions. A youth-led dialogue facilitated by young farmer Bevon Charles centered on the most pressing barriers to entry and growth — particularly limited access to affordable land and affordable financing — while also highlighting untapped opportunities in technology-driven innovation and value-added processing. Attendees explored a range of emerging high-growth sub-sectors that hold particular appeal for young producers, including digital agriculture, hydroponics, climate-smart production technologies, drone applications for farm management, protected agriculture, and local value-added processing, all of which can boost profitability and make agriculture a more attractive career path for young Grenadians.

    Additional program contributions included a presentation from Cindy Lewis, project manager for the Grenada Young Entrepreneurs in Agriculture and Agribusiness Project, who outlined ongoing efforts to boost national agricultural output through targeted financial grants for small-scale producers and professional certification opportunities for young agricultural workers. One of the most significant outcomes of the seminar was renewed collective momentum to establish the long-discussed national Youth in Agriculture Network, a dedicated platform for advocacy, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among young people working across the agricultural sector. Work on the network is already underway under the CDF Young Entrepreneurs in Agriculture Project, with ongoing technical and strategic support from IICA.

    Gregory Delsol, IICA Grenada’s technical specialist, also updated attendees on the progress of two key ongoing IICA initiatives on the island: the construction of a climate-friendly solar-powered sea moss drying facility, and the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) Alliance Water Conservation and Improved Irrigation Project, which aims to boost water security for Grenadian farmers amid growing climate volatility. Coordinators from the Caribbean Climate Responsive Agriculture Forum (CCRAF), who were on island for the forum’s “CCRAF on the ROAD” outreach series, also used the occasion to recognize participants who successfully completed the Beginner to Business (B2B) three-part entrepreneurship webinar series for young producers.

    By the close of the seminar, all participating stakeholders reached a shared conclusion: sustained cross-sector collaboration between the national government, regional institutions, youth-led groups, development partners, and the private sector is essential to building a more inclusive, resilient, and innovative agricultural sector that can attract and retain the next generation of agricultural leaders in Grenada. Attendees unanimously emphasized that investing in youth empowerment in agriculture is not just a priority for young people — it is a critical foundation for long-term food security, ongoing innovation, and climate resilience across Grenada’s entire agri-food system.

  • Shirley Chisholm Primary on a roll in netball tournament

    Shirley Chisholm Primary on a roll in netball tournament

    The National Sports Council’s Pedialyte Sport Primary School Netball competition continued to unfold at the Dover playing field in Christ Church on Wednesday, with defending champions Shirley Chisholm Primary maintaining their flawless unbeaten streak through two matches on matchday.

    Competing in the competitive Carolyn Sinclair/Marion Johnson-Hurley Zone, the Vauxhall-based side delivered two dominant performances to extend their winning run. First, Shirley Chisholm Primary secured a solid 9-3 victory over St Christopher Primary, before following up that win with a 7-3 defeat of St Lawrence Primary.

    St Lawrence Primary quickly shook off their second-half slump against the defending champions to claim a comfortable win in their second outing of the day, outpacing Arthur Smith Primary to notch a 7-1 victory that gets their campaign back on track.

    Christ Church Girls’ Primary also enjoyed a strong day of results, putting together two wins and one draw across their three matches. The side opened with an 8-1 rout of St Christopher Primary, then earned a tight 2-1 win over Bay Primary, before settling for a 2-2 draw against St Paul’s Primary.

    Arthur Smith Primary experienced mixed fortunes across their two matches on Wednesday. The team kicked off their day with a clear 4-1 win over St Gabriel’s Primary, but could not carry that momentum into their second game, falling 5-2 to Bay Primary.

    St Gabriel’s Primary also had an up-and-down day of netball action. After falling to Arthur Smith, the squad fought to a 3-3 draw with St Paul’s Primary, before pulling off a narrow 2-1 upset win over Bay Primary to close out their matchday.