Solution offered to protect farmers from influx of imported produce

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is willing to establish an arrangement that would see fewer imported fruits and vegetables on supermarket shelves.

However, according to Minister of Business Development Kerrie Symmonds, farmers would have to demonstrate that they are able to supply local demand and guarantee there will be no shortages.

He was responding to a call from chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) James Paul that the importation of cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, and carrots be banned since farmers had the capacity to satisfy local demand for those fruits and vegetables.

He also suggested that the Department of Commerce work closely with the BAS before food import licences are granted.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Symmonds explained that because of international treaty obligations Barbados could not outright ban the importation of produce.

However, he said a special arrangement could be set up to give local farmers some measure of protection.

“The concept of an outright ban on foreign agricultural imports may sound attractive at a superficial level but it’s not likely to be a workable solution as any such blanket ban on foreign imports is likely to be in breach of WTO [World Trade Organization]  regulations,” Symmonds said.

“I do, however, agree that there must be further discussion about possible solutions and I strongly believe that the missing link in our national food security discussion has been a common understanding of what is, in fact, legally permissible given our WTO membership and commitments and what is actually deliverable by our farming community. So, as a first step, I will wish to have the Ministry of Foreign Trade at the table as an indispensable part of the process.”

With Barbados’ food import bill averaging around $700 million annually, Symmonds suggested that one measure to reduce that amount would be to restrict licences at certain times.

“ . . . . A possible solution might lie in crafting strategic periods where we have a reduction in licences issued because the local product will be available at those times,” he said.

“Such periodic limiting of issuance of licences, however, creates other concerns because our farming community must, in such circumstances, be able to guarantee that they not only commit to deliver but that they actually do deliver on the level of supply of produce that the country requires.”

The Business Development Minister stressed that farmers must also commit to maintaining their quotas to avert any shortages.

“Any blackout period [period where licences issued are reduced] would require certainty of supply and delivery so that no shortages appear and we don’t have any situation where no produce is being imported but, equally, none is being produced locally.

“This is a conversation we are now having with regards to pork production and supply and I see no reason why fruit and vegetable farming should not also be a part of the discussion.

“Once we can achieve that balance in the conversation, I think that we can build the framework of a successful partnership between local food suppliers and the commercial, hotel and restaurant sectors,” Symmonds added.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb