Economic theory posits that the removal of impediments to trade should redound to improvement in the overall well-being of all nations. Unfortunately, for many developing countries, this has not been the case; upon significantly reducing their tariffs, they are yet to see any tangible benefits....

The paper examines the performance of the agricultural sector over the 10 year period 1995-2004. Indicators suggest that investments in Agricultural Research and Development (used as a proxy for the quantum of technology generated) have had little impact on agricultural production. In this...

The sugar industry in the island of St. Kitts came to a close in 2005 and so too did a long period of monoculture and possibly a culture and lifestyle of a people that affectionately refer to their country as Sugar City. Sugar was cultivated on approximately 4,500 hectares and there is now a...

International studies and epidemiological data have revealed a strong association between salmonellosis and chicken meat. This association provides serious challenges for food safety and international trade. Microbiological Risk Assessment is a food safety tool that is used to determine the...

Several Caribbean sugar producing countries are actively looking for viable alternatives to recover some of the expected lost revenues due to the WTO (World Trade Organization) ruling that sugar subsidies in the European Union (EU) are illegal. One alternative worth considering is exporting...

Rice imports into Trinidad and Tobago in 2005 represented approximately 95% of domestic demand. Local production has been declining since reaching a peak of 21,000 tonnes in 1992. Present production is 3,500 tonnes. Rice is produced under a variety of production systems and on farms of varying...

These musings led me to the topic “Caribbean economic development in the post Washington consensus period”. While much of the presentation will relate to the English-speaking Caribbean, and more particularly the member states of the Caribbean community, we are acutely aware that both Lewis...

Some concerns relating to the demographics of the region as they impact on agricultural production were discussed. Traditional agriculture was in many instances on the decline. Competitive elements have been seizing the opportunity to supply the region through import substitution. Small and...

Trinidad and Tobago produces a fine flavour cocoa that attracts a premium price on the international market. The country has a long and distinguished record in agronomy and production of cocoa and is home to the Cocoa Research Unit, which attracts international notice and funding. However, cocoa...