In a bid to assist local farmers access regional export markets, the Guy-ana government is in discussions with the Carib-bean Community (CARICOM) in hopes of securing the relaxation or removal altogether of what it sees as some rigid non-tariff measures on local food produce, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha has said.
“There are a number of [areas] where our farmers get a hard time exporting their produce. We are currently working with CARICOM in hope of getting one set of measures that is operable for all countries,” Mustapha told the Stabroek News.
“For example, in Barbados, we can export peppers with the stem on but in Trinidad and Tobago, the farmers have to take the stems off before it is allowed in. When this happens, the lifespan of pepper is shortened and you find they rot easily,” he added.