(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Good Evening. I wish first of all, to congratulate and thank the Government of Suriname for being such excellent hosts and for the hard work and commitment which have gone into the planning and preparation for this event. 

This year, we focus on the theme of Family Agriculture for CWA 2014 - a theme that is timely and highly relevant to the development of agriculture here in the Caribbean Region.

One may well ask “What is it about agriculture that lends itself to family- managed production?”

Mr Chairman, Djoemadi Kasanmoesdiran
Your Excellency,  Desiree Delano Bouterse, President of Suriname
Your Excellency,  Hon. Soeresh Algoe, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Suriname
Her Excellency Manorma Soeknandan, Deputy Secretary General, CARICOM Secretariat
Mr Michael Hailu, Director, CTA
Dr Deep Ford, Sub Regional Representative, FAO
Dr Victor Villalobos, Director General, IICA
Hon. Ministers responsible for Agriculture in the Caribbean

The time has come again when the Region’s agricultural sector holds its premier annual event. This is the thirteenth Caribbean Week of Agriculture to have been held since it commenced in 1999 and every year the event has brought together participants in the agricultural sector in a number of fields ranging from producers themselves to scientific personnel to those with political responsibility.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The need for robust information and evidence-based policies to combat climate change was underscored during the week as participants at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) focused their attention on the effects climate change was having on livestock and marine resources.

Mr. President,
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, said this a few days ago: "Don't be demoralised by your income; be inspired by your outcome".
That should be a driving principle, as all countries, particularly the Small Island Developing States, seek to determine what the post-2015 Development Agenda will be. The obstacles are many. The lip service is
evident. We have hope and our moral case is strong. We are inspired by the potential possible outcomes of  this new development agenda.