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Jose Alpuche, C.E.O., Ministry of Agriculture
"This morning we had a session with the private sector actually looking at the business climate and wealth creation in the Caribbean very interesting discussion but also too today we have the regional fisheries mechanism meeting and tomorrow they have a meeting with the Central american partners beyond that later this week we have meetings on sugar on the carribean agricultural health, CARDI, sugar stakeholders meeting both private sector and at the ministerial level and culminating with a ministerial COTED the council for trade and economic development on discussing agriculture."

Cherisse Halsall, reporter
"We heard some talk in the meeting about certifications in order for countries like ours to participate on the world stage. Tell me a bit about that."

Jose Alpuche
"It's very critical and I think more and more it's an area that we have to invest quite heavily. Even now to compete in the single market in our CARICOM market certification requirements are there and certainly if we want to export outside the region the whole question of traceability at the production level and actually certification of what is actually produced. It's now absolutely basic certification that we need in order to export anywhere."

Shaun Baugh, Program Manager for Agriculture and Industry Development, CARICOM secretariat
"The aim is to look at what it is that we've been doing access where we are and at the same time make recommendations. The spin with the forum is that it's a little bit unique it's a little bit disruptive. It's a little bit game changing in the sense that we are now putting a business focus to our approach because we're a little bit focused on regulations and how we can regulate this or that, but we've not been in a real sense involving the private sector and hearing from them, what is it that they'd want to see, how they can participate, and what are the challenges and what are the successes that they are all having. So we've been deliberate in the persons we have invited. We've invited organizations who have invested in the region who have trade that is ongoing in the region, and for them to share with us and we've been having some marvelous sessions. And all the ministers of agriculture are here, they are listening and they are participating."

Milton Haughton, Executive Director of the Caribbean regional fisheries mechanism
"We're discussing a wide range of issues. We just completed a discussion on IUU fishing that is illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a major and very difficult problem facing us in the caribbean region it's a massive problem with countries in the region as well as from outside the region, and we recognize that look we have to step up and deal with this problem and to deter, prevent,and eventually eliminate IUU fishing from taking place. Because it's destroying our resources, it's undermining our efforts to conserve and protect our resources, it's undermining our efforts to generate employment and livelihood and food security in the region, and there are a wide number of tools that we can use to address it but it's a difficult problem."

"We're looking at promoting blue economic growth and that is: how can we enhance economic investment and economic returns from our marine resources. We want to look at improving value addition so gone are the days when fishers are just going out and catching fish and selling. When you get the product you have to look at how you can maximize the resources that we're taking and if you implement international best practices you can actually increase the returns you get from each unit of fish you catch."

Meetings began on the 30th of September and will run through October 4th, 2019.