agriculture

Article 59: Marketing of Agricultural Products

  1.         The  Community shall, in  collaboration with competent national, regional and international organisations, promote the development of effective agricultural marketing systems in order to respond to, influence and generate market demand for agricultural products of the Member States.
  1.         In effecting the promotion referred to in paragraph 1, the Community shall pay particular attention to:

(a)        market information, intelligence and planning;

(b)        improved post-harvest technology;

(c)        risk insurance; and

(d)        efficient distribution services.

  1.         In order to accomplish the objectives referred to in paragraph 1, the Community shall adopt measures to promote:

(a)        the establishment of a regional market information system;

(b) the improvement of production and market information systems of the Member States in order to facilitate, inter alia, the efficient co-ordination of marketing strategies and systems;

(c) institutional arrangements including producer associations and joint venture marketing enterprises in order to respond to existing and changing market conditions;

(d)        niche marketing;

(e) linkages between agriculture and other sectors in particular, the tourism sector;

(f)         the identification and utilisation of sources of low cost alternative inputs; (g)         the establishment and adoption of regional standards and specifications compatible with international standards for products being traded;

(h)        enhanced productivity and food quality;

(i)         insurance coverage for primary agricultural products; and

(j) the development of efficient distribution services to facilitate intra-regional and extra-regional marketing.

  1.         In pursuance of the need to generate market demand for agricultural products of the Member States and to promote the agricultural development of the Less Developed Countries, the Member States shall agree to the arrangements for marketing oils and fats set out in Schedule III.

Article 56: The Community Agricultural Policy

  1.         The goal of the Community Agricultural Policy shall be:

    (a) the fundamental transformation of the agricultural sector towards market- oriented, internationally competitive and environmentally sound production of agricultural products;

(b) improved income and employment opportunities, food and nutrition security, and poverty alleviation in the Community;

(c) the efficient cultivation and production of traditional and non-traditional primary agricultural products;

(d)  increased production and diversification of processed agricultural products;

(e)  an enlarged share of world markets for primary and processed agricultural products; and

(f)  the efficient management and sustainable exploitation of the Region’s natural resources, including its forests and the living resources of the exclusive economic zone, bearing in mind the differences in resource endowment and economic development of the Member States.