Promoting regional trade and agribusiness development in the Caribbean
3rd CARIBBEAN AGRIBUSINESS FORUM:
STRENGTHENING THE CARIBBEAN AGRIBUSINESS SECTOR AND EXPANDING MARKETS THROUGH SMEs BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Organised by CTA, IICA, CABA and the ACP-EU TBT Programme
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 29-30 January 2017
The 3rd Caribbean Agribusiness Forum is the result of a synergic collaboration put in place between the ACP-EU TBT Programme and CTA, and building upon two Agribusiness Forums held in 2014 and 2015 organised by CTA, IICA and CABA on the following themes respectively: “Enhancing regional trade and adding value to Caribbean agri-food products” and “Strengthening the agri-food sector and expanding markets“.
The previous Agribusiness Forums were largely focused on building knowledge and sharing success stories amongst agribusiness in the Caribbean. This year, the Forum will focus more directly on facilitating support to SMEs to expand their production and trade capacities. This forum will be organised under the format of a “Business meeting”, involving ten small and medium enterprises (SMES) trained in certification by the ACP-EU TBT Programme as well as other agribusiness and buyers working collectively under the CABA-lead “Collective Regional Export Strategy’. The strategy aims to support SMEs to act collectively in accessing markets and in the procurement of inputs and services. A critical part of the strategy focuses on supporting the SMEs to market and promote some of their products under a common regional brand or mark and to share the high cost of brand building. The products will be marketed through the Caribbean Agri-business Export Company (CABEXCO) which has been established for this purpose.
Objectives:
To foster exports of locally produced agricultural products and foodstuffs (with a special accent on staples and condiments).
- Assessing certification support to SMEs and next steps
- Identifying new market opportunities in tourism and export markets for the trained SMEs
- Identifying opportunities for the SMEs in the CABA’s Regional joint/collective Export Programme–CABEXCO
****
AGENDA
TIME | ACTIVITIES | CHAIR/ MODERATOR |
DAY ONE | ||
8:30am – 9:00am | REGISTRATION | |
9:00am – 9:30am | – Opening & Welcome of Chairman–Vermaran Extavour
– IICA Representative – Ena Harvey – CTA/TBT/EU Representative – CABA President – Vassel Stewart |
Chairperson – Rex Collymore (CABA Trinidad & Tobago) |
9:30am – 10:30am | Presentation of the profiles of suppliers
(10 TBT supported firms) |
Dunstan Demille (CABA, St Lucia) |
10:30am – 10:45am | BREAK | |
10:45am – 11:15am |
Presentation of buyers profiles
UK– Pauline Wade Canada-TBA – Trinidad-Global Brands Ltd. – Jamaica-Jamaica Broilers Group Trinidad -Bermudez |
Ena –Harvey–IICA |
11:15am -11:45am | Quality Management Systems and their role in market access
– Global – Prysma Consultant (Ricardo Rodriguez Casas) – Regional –Prysma Consultant (Andre Gordon) |
Nigel Durrant -CARICOM |
11:45am – 12:45pm | Agro-processing – experiences with implementing HACCP – ( 10 firms) | Raymond Trotz (CABA Guyana) |
12:45pm – 1.00pm | The Way Forward for Certification for the 10 firms | CABA & Prysma Consulting |
1:00pm – 2:30pm | LUNCH | |
2:30pm – 3:30pm | Buyer evaluation of products of 10 firms and identification of market opportunities | Moderator: Darwin Telemaque (CABA, Antigua Barbuda) |
3:30pm – 3:45pm | BREAK | |
3:45pm – 4:30pm | Buyer evaluation of 10 firms and identification of market opportunities Cont’d | Moderator: Darwin Telemaque (CABA, Antigua & Barbuda) |
4:30pm – 5:00pm | Discussion of evaluation and selection of products | |
DAY TWO | ||
8:30am – 8:45am | Overview of Previous day’s activities Vermaran Extavaour | James Paul –CABA Barbados |
8:45am – 9:00am | CABEXCO Concept—Vassel Stewart | |
9:00am –9:30am | Jamaica Experience (National) -Winston Stona | |
9:30am – 10:00am
|
Regional & National Joint Marketing Experiences
-CATCO (Regional) – Vassel Stewart |
|
10:00am – 10:30am | Discussion | |
10:30am – 10:45am | BREAK | |
10:45am -11:15am | Introduction to the CTA funded online trading platform – Kirwin Narine
|
Winston Stona |
11:15am – 12:30pm | Presentation of the CABEXCO strategic plan –Vassel Stewart | |
12:30pm – 1:00pm | Discussion | |
1:00pm – 2:00pm | LUNCH | |
2:00pm – 2:30pm | Review of CABEXCO Bye-laws and selection of additional Directors | Allister Glean |
2:30pm – 3:30pm | Address by Minister of Trade and Launch of the CABEXCO Trading Platform. | |
3:30pm – 3:45pm | Closing Remarks | Vermaran Extavour & Ena Harvey |