AGP Executive Report

Agri-Biosecurity: Barbados is stepping up African swine fever protection with a three-day ASF surveillance and response workshop, warning that import-system gaps could still leave the island vulnerable even with a clean record. Fresh Produce Exports: Export Barbados says about 20 farmers are being lined up for a new export-focused packhouse, targeting seven products like hot peppers and passion fruit with cold-chain support and GlobalG.A.P. standards. Tourism Workforce: “Project Dawn” is preparing 115 unemployed young people for tourism and hospitality careers through certified training at the Jean and Norman Holder Hospitality Institute. Creator Earnings: Government is developing a proposal for a third-party aggregator to help content creators collect earnings affected by geo-blocking on international platforms. Sustainable Tourism Leadership: The Caribbean Tourism Organization appointed Barbadian Courtney-Diana Walker as program officer, sustainable tourism, to support its Reimagine Plan 2025–2027. Regional Business Moves: ANSA McAL named Natalie Abrahams as executive director for Barbados and the OECS in a newly created role from Oct. 1, while PBS Group completed its acquisition of Trinidad Systems Limited and reshuffled regional leadership. Energy Debate: Former Central Bank Governor Delisle Worrell argues Barbados should consider hydroelectric power instead of distributed solar-and-wind models to avoid higher consumer prices. Culture & Industry: Barbados unveiled cross-border Villa murals linking artists from Barbados and St Vincent, and the Lawrence Cocktail Trail is running a people’s choice contest to raise funds for hospitality workers.

Tourism & Skills Pipeline: Government’s “Project Dawn” is preparing about 115 young, unemployed people for tourism and hospitality careers, with orientation held at the Jean and Norman Holder Hospitality Institute in partnership with Barbados Community College. Cruise Access: Southern Caribbean cruising is set to get easier as major lines add new itineraries and departure options between fall 2026 and 2027, boosting access to bucket-list ports like Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Regional Tourism Leadership: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) appointed Barbadian Courtney-Diana Walker as program officer, sustainable tourism, to support its Reimagine Plan 2025–2027. Biosecurity for Agriculture: Barbados is stepping up African swine fever defence with a three-day surveillance and response workshop, while the CVO warns the threat remains “ever present” for animal and foodborne diseases. Energy & Cost Debate: Former central bank governor Delisle Worrell argues Barbados’ distributed power model may fail to lower consumer prices and urges consideration of hydroelectric options. Construction Workforce Pressure: A construction surge is exposing a shortage of skilled workers, even as conferences highlight opportunities for young people entering the sector. Trade & Shipping Costs: Panama Canal slot reductions and surcharges are raising fears of higher import costs and consumer price pressure in Barbados. Business & Finance: CIBC Caribbean Bank reports a strong nine-month run, with net income up to US$167.7m, driven by revenue, loan and deposit growth. Diplomacy for Trade & Tourism: Barbados’ envoy Baba Sadiq held Abuja talks with Ghana on trade, tourism, aviation, education and reparations. Sports & Community: Barbadians won Pan Am handgun medals in Aruba; and Barbados’ virtual court hearings begin to cut backlogs and improve case handling.

Sustainable Tourism Leadership: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has appointed Barbadian tourism and communications professional Courtney-Diana Walker as program officer for sustainable tourism, effective Sept. 1, to help deliver the CTO Reimagine Plan 2025–2027. Maritime Trade & Sanctions Risk: A new report flags that bunker suppliers can no longer fully trust sanctions checks, as fraudulent ship registry flags and false ship-to-ship AIS meetings are increasingly common. Rum vs Wellness Shift: Export Barbados says younger consumers are moving away from rum toward mocktails, lighter cocktails and canned drinks, while energy costs remain a key export constraint. Renewables Debate: Former Central Bank Governor Dr Delisle Worrell argues Barbados’ distributed solar-and-wind model may raise prices, urging consideration of hydroelectric power and centralized storage. Food & Animal Health Preparedness: Barbados is ramping up surveillance and rapid response planning for African swine fever and other animal/foodborne threats, with workshops focused on testing and biosecurity. Construction Skills Gap: A construction surge is exposing shortages of skilled workers, even as conferences push hands-on pathways for young people. Energy/Power Infrastructure: Hydroelectric power is pitched as a lower-cost renewable option amid concerns about how distributed power affects consumer bills. Tourism & Events: Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and TripToGo brought Oistins Fish Fry vibes to Toronto’s Labour Day weekend. Local Governance & Labour: Employers are warned to follow proper dismissal procedures after an unfair dismissal ruling against Markham Construction Limited. Transport Disruption: The Princess Alice Highway will see a partial closure Friday for a tape-ball cricket tournament tied to the Barbados Tridents’ CPL home games.

Arts & Skills: Mark Master Masons’ Edzii Edinboro Memorial Scholarship backs a Games Art and Animation student, spotlighting Barbados’ digital-printing legacy. Construction & Workforce: A Barbados Annual Construction and Design Conference (TVET Council) pushes hands-on pathways for young people as a construction surge exposes a shortage of skilled workers. Education & Food Security: Government rolls out a national primary school breakfast programme for about 17,000 students, while Education Minister Chad Blackman warns firms to keep ultra-processed food marketing out of schools. Animal Health Readiness: Agriculture ramps up surveillance, testing and monitoring for African swine fever, with calls for continued vigilance on animal and foodborne disease threats. Labour & Workplace Rights: Employment Rights Tribunal awards compensation in an unfair dismissal case against Markham Construction, stressing employers must follow proper procedures and record-keeping. Local Infrastructure: Princess Alice Highway sees a partial Friday closure for a tape-ball cricket tournament. Regional Business & Trade: Barbados’ importers face price-hike fears as Panama Canal slot limits may trigger shipping surcharges. Governance & Courts: District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court begins virtual hearings to cut backlogs and improve case flow. Health & Community: Living Legacy Wellness expands dementia care and healthy ageing support, led by Asha Jones.

Education & Nutrition: Barbados rolled out a national school breakfast programme for about 17,000 nursery and primary public school students, aiming to ease hunger and support parents as the new term begins, while Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman also warned schools are “hands off” for firms marketing ultra-processed foods to children. School Readiness & Works: The Barbados Union of Teachers flagged late maintenance and upgrades at some schools—extending into planning week or finishing over the weekend—creating dust and cleaning concerns and making it harder for teachers to prepare classrooms on time. Agriculture & Biosecurity: Government renewed focus on protecting the pig industry from African swine fever, with the Chief Veterinary Officer urging continued vigilance through surveillance, testing and biosecurity against animal and foodborne diseases. Productivity & Workforce: UWI Cave Hill warned productivity is slipping as the workforce shrinks, with labour force down about 2,700 in the first half of the year and productivity growth averaging just 0.8% since 2018. Justice & Courts: District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court began virtual hearings to reduce delays, ease remand prisoner transport, and improve court efficiency. Energy & Trade Links: Prime Minister Mia Mottley met Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez on cooperation covering energy, food security, farmers and fishers, clean-energy tech, and trade and tourism links. Regional Business: CIBC Caribbean reported a strong nine-month run, with net income up 46% to US$167.7m, citing revenue, loan and deposit growth plus digital and resilience efforts. Tech & Governance: CARTAC hosted an AI-focused public financial management workshop for Caribbean governments on “digital by design.” Marine & Fisheries Skills: Barbados hosted practical training on sustainable fisheries and marine spatial planning using BRUV underwater video systems.

African Swine Fever Preparedness: Barbados’ Agriculture Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight says protecting the island’s pig industry from African swine fever is a top priority, with government committed to strong prevention and response measures. Education & Nutrition: The Ministry of Education Transformation rolls out a national school breakfast programme for about 17,000 primary students, while Education Minister Chad Blackman warns companies to keep ultra-processed food marketing out of schools. School Readiness Tensions: The Barbados Union of Teachers flags ongoing maintenance and late repairs that spill into planning week, saying it affects classroom setup and teacher readiness. Food Supply Reliability: Energy, Business Development and Commerce Minister Kerrie Symmonds says Barbados is working with the private sector and regional partners to secure more reliable goods supply, pushing for more local and regional production and agro-processing. Energy & Trade Links: Prime Minister Mia Mottley meets Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas to strengthen cooperation on energy, food production, tourism, and trade, including better movement of goods. Venezuela Oil Deal Watch: Multiple reports detail a major US-Venezuela oil agreement tied to Barbados-based NABEP, with big investment and long-term concessions drawing geopolitical scrutiny. Marine & Fisheries Skills: A three-day training in Barbados helps fisheries and conservation professionals use underwater BRUV systems to support sustainable fisheries and marine spatial planning. Banking Performance: CIBC Caribbean Bank reports a sharp jump in net income to US$167.7m for the nine months ended July 31, citing revenue, loan and deposit growth. Water Supply Troubles: Barbados Water Authority calls prolonged St Thomas outages and low pressure a “crisis situation,” stepping up monitoring and repairs in affected high-elevation areas. Youth & Skills: The YWCA plans to expand youth and community empowerment programmes, while UWI and the Ministry of Youth and Culture complete a filmmaking initiative (MPAC) aimed at growing Barbados’ creative economy.

School Nutrition & Health: Barbados’ new national school breakfast programme is now feeding about 17,000 nursery and primary public-school students islandwide, with Education Minister Chad Blackman saying it tackles hunger that leaves children “with their heads on the desk” and eases pressure on parents; Food Marketing Crackdown: Blackman also warned ultra-processed food companies to keep schools “hands off,” stressing firms can’t use donations or giveaways to target students while ignoring nutrition rules; School Infrastructure: Wesley Hall Junior School students are set to return Wednesday after major refurbishments, while the Barbados Union of Teachers says upgrades at 25+ schools were sometimes pushed into late planning week, raising dust and safety worries; Public Health Facilities: QEH will relocate four outpatient clinics (ENT, Neurology, Paediatrics, Dermatology) to George Street from Sept 7 as part of preparations for a major hospital expansion; Water Supply: Barbados Water Authority is treating prolonged low pressure and outages in parts of St Thomas as a “crisis situation,” with monitoring and repairs underway in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace; Regional Skills & Jobs: UWI and the Ministry of Youth and Culture wrapped a second cohort of the Motion Picture Arts Certificate (MPAC) filmmaking programme, aimed at growing Barbados’ creative economy and job pathways.

Public Finance & Digital Governance: Senior officials from across the Caribbean met in St. Vincent for a CARTAC/IMF workshop on modernizing public financial management with a “digital by design” approach, stressing tech must strengthen institutions and processes, not just automate weak systems. Education Support & School Readiness: Barbados rolled out a national primary school breakfast programme for about 17,000 students to tackle hunger before classes start, while Wesley Hall Junior School students were set to return Wednesday to refurbished facilities after repairs and delays. School Infrastructure Timing: The Barbados Union of Teachers welcomed summer upgrades at 25+ schools but complained some work ran into Planning Week or finished only over the weekend, leaving teachers scrambling and raising dust and safety concerns. Health Services Logistics: QEH will relocate four outpatient clinics (ENT, Neurology, Paediatrics, Dermatology) to George Street from Sept. 7 as part of the Enmore Redevelopment Project preparations. Supply Reliability Push: Government says it’s working with the private sector and regional partners to secure more reliable goods supply, with a stronger push for local and regional production and agro-processing. Creative Economy Training: UWI and the Ministry of Youth and Culture’s MPAC filmmaking programme produced a second cohort of graduates, aimed at building skills for Barbados’ film and creative industries. Regional Tourism Trade: St. Kitts hosted the ASTA Caribbean Showcase, giving U.S. travel advisors hands-on destination training and hotel access to better sell the region.

Healthcare Infrastructure: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is relocating four outpatient clinics—ENT, Neurology, Paediatrics and Dermatology—to George Street, Belleville from Sept. 7, as part of preparations for the Enmore Redevelopment Project and a major QEH expansion. Water & Utilities: Barbados Water Authority is treating prolonged St Thomas water pressure problems and outages in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace as a “crisis situation,” with engineers ramping up monitoring, field checks and repairs. Education & Human Capital: Four schools’ students will be relocated for the new school year while infrastructure upgrades run Sept. 2026–Aug. 2027, and the QEH/Enmore buildout is also tied to broader capacity needs. Agriculture & Skills: Three BCC students received a new agriculture scholarship from the Lions Club of Barbados North to cover registration costs, supporting food security-focused training. Transport & School Safety: Plans for dedicated school buses remain stalled, with operators saying talks have not produced a final report ahead of the semester. Regional Aviation: Caribbean Airlines says it’s pushing a transformation programme to improve operations, customer service and financial sustainability, including new duty-free and gift-card options. Sports & Community: Black Sands Swim Squad delivered a strong medal haul at the SVG national championships, including new national records.

Housing & Disaster Recovery: Jamaica signed J$1.05b (US$6.6m) contracts to build 268 semi-permanent homes for Hurricane Melissa victims, with DT Brown Construction (143 units in Westmoreland) and Southland Construction (125 in St Elizabeth) targeting completion within 12 months. Water & Utilities: Barbados Water Authority is treating prolonged St Thomas low pressure and outages in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace as a “crisis situation,” ramping up monitoring, field work and repairs. Healthcare Infrastructure: Barbados’ QEH is relocating four outpatient clinics (ENT, Neurology, Paediatrics, Dermatology) to George Street from Sept. 7 as part of the Enmore Redevelopment Project, while a separate update highlights needs like more beds, lab capacity and a dedicated burn unit. Education & Facilities: Barbados Education Ministry plans to relocate students from four schools for major upgrades (Sept 2026–Aug 2027). Local Industry & Retail: Massy Supermarket Worthing redevelopment enters Phase Two with controlled demolition of the former Big B site and a new car park planned. Agriculture Skills: Lions Club of Barbados North launched an agriculture scholarship for three BCC students, supporting registration for the rest of their associate degrees. Community Transport: PSV operators say dedicated school buses remain stalled, despite months of talks. Sports & Culture: Barbados Tridents hosted CPL action at Kensington Oval; Animekon returned to LESC; and BSSS brought home 108 medals at SVG nationals.

Healthcare Infrastructure: QEH is relocating four outpatient clinics—ENT, Neurology, Paediatrics and Dermatology—to George Street, Belleville from Sept. 7 as part of the Enmore Redevelopment Project, with affected patients told to use the new site and one ENT clinic cancelled. Hospital Expansion Needs: A QEH/Enmore consultation highlighted plans for a new lab, burn unit, more beds and cancer resources, with officials noting past burn patients were sent overseas due to local gaps. Education & Skills: Four schools’ students will be temporarily moved for major upgrades (Sept. 2026–Aug. 2027), while BCC students received an agriculture scholarship covering registration costs for the rest of their associate degrees. Local Business & Retail: Massy Supermarket Worthing’s $46m redevelopment enters Phase Two with controlled demolition of the old Big B site to make way for a new car park and improvements. Transport & Industry: PSV operators pushed for duty-free fleet concessions, and AOPT is still seeking a dedicated school bus plan after talks stalled. Environment & Coastal Safety: A new report flags coral decline in Barbados as ocean warming accelerates, and CZMU director Dr Leo Brewster renewed warnings about the dangerous Hot Pot inlet after a recent drowning. Community & Sports: Black Sands Swim Squad brought home 108 medals at the SVG National Championships, and Barbados Road Tennis continues to improve with the open reaching the men’s round of 16. Agriculture & Food Security: A “Project CARE” relaunch and farming initiatives aim to boost food security and support hundreds of families.

Healthcare Infrastructure: QEH is relocating four outpatient clinics (ENT, Neurology, Paediatrics, Dermatology) to George Street from Sept 7 as part of the Enmore Redevelopment Project, with affected patients told to use the new site and one ENT clinic cancelled. Hospital Expansion Planning: A QEH/Enmore consultation highlights needs for a new lab, burn unit, more beds and cancer treatment capacity ahead of the US$175m expansion. Agriculture & Skills: Lions Club of Barbados North awards an agriculture scholarship to three BCC students, covering registration for their associate degrees, as Barbados pushes food security through training. Education & Community: Barbados’ school infrastructure upgrades will relocate students from four schools for the new term, with assignments to different campuses while works run Sept 2026–Aug 2027. Retail & Consumer Goods: Fenty Beauty launches a new Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex Foundation in Barbados Duty Free, adding 50 new shades at select Bridgetown locations. Public Transport: PSV sector leaders continue pushing for dedicated school buses, saying talks remain stalled ahead of the semester. Local Safety Alert: Marine biologist Dr Leo Brewster reiterates warnings about the “Hot Pot” inlet after a recent drowning, urging people to stay out of the water. Business Funding: UWI economist Winston Moore urges more equity financing conversations in Barbados as a way to reduce cost-of-capital pressure on entrepreneurs. Sports & Community: Massy Supermarket Worthing redevelopment enters Phase Two with controlled demolition underway, while BSSS reports a strong medal haul at SVG nationals and road tennis notes improving youth performance.

Healthcare Upgrade Watch: Barbados’ Queen Elizabeth Hospital expansion is set to add a new lab, dedicated burn unit, more beds and expanded cancer services, after officials flagged current lab limits, overcrowding and overseas referrals for burn patients. Education & Skills: Four schools will relocate for the 2026–27 school year as major infrastructure upgrades run from September 2026 to August 2027, while Barbados Community College also awarded an agriculture scholarship to three students to support registration for their associate degrees. Local Transport Pressure: PSV operators and school transport advocates are pushing for dedicated school buses, but talks remain stalled ahead of the new term. Coastal Safety Alert: A marine biologist renewed warnings about the “Hot Pot” inlet at Brighton, St Michael, after another drowning tragedy, stressing the area’s unstable conditions and shifting depths. Retail Redevelopment: Massy Supermarket Worthing’s $46m redevelopment moves into Phase Two, starting with controlled demolition of the former Big B site to make way for a new car park and upgrades. Energy/Trade Context: Regional reporting also highlights how fuel flows and energy deals are reshaping Caribbean and wider markets, including new oil arrangements involving Venezuela and major operators.

Healthcare Infrastructure: Barbados’ Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) expansion is set to tackle chronic lab limits, bed shortages, overcrowding and gaps in cancer care, with a dedicated burn unit flagged as a key missing capability after past burn patients were sent overseas. Education & Agriculture: Three Barbados Community College students received the Lion Roy Ward Scholarship to cover registration for agriculture programmes, backing renewed focus on food security and farming careers. Public Transport: PSV operators are still pushing for dedicated school buses, but talks with education and transport authorities remain stalled ahead of the new term. Retail & Construction: Massy Supermarket Worthing’s $46m redevelopment moves into Phase Two, starting with controlled demolition of the former Big B site to make way for a new car park and upgrades. Coastal Safety: A marine biologist renewed warnings about the “Hot Pot” inlet after a recent drowning, citing unstable conditions linked to industrial runoff and shifting sand. Regional Aviation: Barbados and CARICOM are urged to cut airport fees and passenger taxes to boost intra-regional air travel and competitiveness. Energy Transition: Barbados’ shift toward more renewables may raise interim electricity costs, with grid modernisation and battery storage planned to reach 50% renewable penetration by end-2027.

Caribbean Tourism Policy: Guyana President Irfaan Ali will keynote the CTO’s SOTIC 2026 in Georgetown (Oct. 5–9), with a focus on smart, sustainable, inclusive tourism and how destinations can use innovation, technology, and resilience to keep tourism competitive. Public Transport & School Safety: PSV operators and transport leaders say plans for dedicated school buses are still stalled ahead of the new term, leaving parents and schools without a clear rollout date. Energy Transition Costs: Barbados energy stakeholders warn electricity costs may rise in the interim as the island pushes for 50% renewable penetration by end-2027, alongside battery storage and grid upgrades. Food Security & Farming: “Project CARE” is being relaunched as a long-term food security drive, alongside a new push to bring farming to Deacons Farm and support 600 families. Coastal & Marine Risk: A new global coral reef assessment flags worsening reef decline as Barbados continues coastline protection efforts. Local Retail & Construction: Massy Supermarket Worthing redevelopment moves into Phase Two, with controlled demolition of the former Big B site to make way for a new car park and upgrades. Regional Aviation: Aviation experts urge CARICOM governments to treat regional air as essential infrastructure, including lowering airport fees and passenger taxes to boost intra-regional travel. Spirits & Craft Industry: A feature on Barbados rum distillation spotlights how craft spirits expertise and innovation are shaping the local industry’s creative edge.

Venezuela Oil & Energy Deals: Trump’s U.S.-Venezuela oil arrangement is drawing heavy pushback as Chevron prepares to expand in the Orinoco Belt and analysts question how quickly production can be revived under the new 100-year field concessions tied to NABEP, a Barbados-registered operator linked to Alejandro Betancourt. Local Energy Transition: Barbados’ energy consultation is weighing renewable targets against near-term electricity cost pressure, with battery storage, grid upgrades and regulatory reform in focus. Agriculture & Food Security: Government has relaunched Project CARE as a long-term household food and income programme, with Deacons Farm support for about 600 families and training in climate-smart farming and small livestock. Fisheries Modernisation: Barbados moves toward mandatory circle hooks for horizontal longline vessels to improve tuna catch and survival of released species. Retail & Construction: Massy Supermarket Worthing redevelopment enters Phase Two, while construction crews near the top of the Pendry Tampa & Residences project—both signals of continued investment momentum. Transport & Aviation: LIAT Air is cautious about adding Tobago-Barbados capacity after Caribbean Airlines ends direct service, while regional aviation experts argue lower taxes and fees could cut intra-Caribbean travel costs. Business Funding: Economist Winston Moore urges more equity financing conversations as businesses seek returns amid cost-of-capital concerns. Coastal Safety & Environment: A marine biologist reiterates the Hot Pot warning after a recent drowning, and a new global coral report flags worsening reef decline as Barbados acts to protect its coastline. Workforce Development: Goddard Enterprises’ internship programme is placing students into real workplace exposure, including pathways like marine diesel engineering.