The Bahamas will host what Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell said is the largest agricultural event in the region next week.

Caribbean Week of Agriculture will be held at Breezes on October 9, and will include a panel on cannabis farming in anticipation of this country passing legislation on medical cannabis use and cannabis growing.

According to Campbell, 300 people already registered for the event and experts from Belize, Jamaica, and St. Lucia are expected to speak.

Campbell said 21 CARICOM countries are expected to attend the conference and expo.

He said the conference will feature a number of closed sessions, including the 13th special meeting of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Ministerial Council.

Campbell added that some of the topics for the seminar will include youth in dialogue; dining production; productivity initiatives; leveraging opportunities for enhanced plant breeding innovation by building a regional roadmap; and also the cost of healthy eating in the Caribbean.

He added that other agricultural organizations such as the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) will be in attendance.

"We will have over 30 vendors that will be showcasing both regional and local products," said Campbell.

"Throughout this event we intend to connect producers, buyers, and host business-to-business seminars that will educate producers on the ever changing standards of buyers."

Campbell's predecessor in the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Clay Sweeting, worked to begin several programs aimed at reducing the country's reliance on imported food.

Campbell said this conference is part of the continuing move to have the country grow more of what it eats and come closer to being food independent.

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