Agriculture ministers of the Caribbean nations are meeting here Thursday to strengthen ties in the farming sector, Prensa Latina reported.

Strategies to develop cooperation in the agriculture sector among the Caribbean countries will be discussed at the meeting of the regional Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

The COTED, a forum of the 15-member regional trade block Caricom, will also formulate alternatives to face customs barriers that hinder the access of their products to the international market.

The implementation of these measures will be under the responsibility of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), launched in Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday.

The Agency will facilitate the harmonisation of the relevant laws and administrative practices required by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and provide assistance to member states in that regard.

Agriculture is one of Caricom priorities as a way to reduce poverty, create jobs and counteract the current global crisis.