Barbados’ newest Chief Agricultural Officer has pointed to praedial larceny, monkeys, labour shortages, rising input costs, climate change, water scarcity and the need to increase local food production as some of the key issues facing the sector.
Paul Lucas, who assumed office from May 4, succeeds Barney Callender who was deputy but had been acting in the position.
The 39-year-old said he strongly believes that agriculture remains central to Barbados’ identity, health, livelihood and national development.
He, however, made it clear that many of the challenges he identified could not be solved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security alone, but required open dialogue and cooperation with key stakeholders.
He said his immediate focus will include building capacity, improving farmer engagement, making greater use of technology and innovation, and supporting the national drive to increase production and reduce imports under the “25 by 2025 PlusFive” initiative, which now looks toward 2030.
Lucas stressed his commitment to working closely with farmers and stakeholders to strengthen production and productivity across the sector.
“For those persons who have remained in this field, I first salute you. There’s a lot of work to be done, and the only way we could successfully address these challenges is if we put our heads down and get on with the work at hand,” he said.
He is bringing more than 20 years of experience in the field, having worked in Barbados and across the region, including Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat and the Cayman Islands. He said that experience gave him a wider understanding of the challenges facing Caribbean agriculture and the importance of practical, collaborative solutions.
The new chief recalled that his interest in agriculture began with his love for science during his secondary school years and later led him to pursue studies in agriculture, environmental and natural resource management.
Acknowledging the responsibility that comes with the role, Lucas said there was “a point to prove that the job can be done”, but reiterated that success will depend on partnerships, strategic alliances and strong engagement with farmers.
“We really want to get involved with the farmers, we want to support the farmers and in so doing, create a number of initiatives to help,” he stated.
(BGIS/BW)
