The Government of Grenada is considering proposals to facilitate the entry of more airlifts into the country as it explores ways to increase the export of cargo to the international market amidst the challenges brought on by the ongoing pandemic, which has disrupted the trade, and led to a reduction in exports over the last two (2) years.
Although she did not provide much details, Civil Aviation Minister Dr. Clarice Modeste-Curwen told reporters that there has been a reduction in the export of local produce due to a lack of sufficient airlift to ship cargo out of the country.
This situation, she said, has left exporters including fisherfolks, who account for almost half of the exports, resorting to gradually resuming the trade through alternative collaborations with AmeriJet, American Airlines, and Swift Air.
“There is not enough airlift for cargo,” acknowledged the senior government minister, who addressed this issue during last week Tuesday’s post-cabinet media briefing in St. George’s.
Minister Modeste-Curwen said that “…the allocated amount is about 50, 000 pounds, and fish takes the high forties of that, so we still have to look for more airlift,” as she highlighted some of the challenges being faced.
She used the opportunity to explain that although “Amerijet continues to come on a weekly basis, we have had some difficulties in terms of some no-shows at times.”
She said that although exporters have found alternative means to ply their trade, relying on the Spiceisle Fishhouse in Grand Mal Bay, which is one of the major private exporters in the country, this is still not enough to meet the export demand.
Dr. Modeste-Curwen disclosed that government has been approached by potential private exporters seeking to take advantage of the south-bound airline routes, which will facilitate the import of goods in the country, as well as trans-shipment to other islands in the region.
She said that “government has been approached by persons who would like to get involved in the export business,” and is currently “looking at requests for improved terms and conditions that will facilitate their entry into the country.”
However, the female government minister pointed out that “one of the problems is that northbound leaving from Grenada with cargo into let’s say Miami, usually the plane is fuller, very close to its capacity but southbound, leaving Miami to come to Grenada the plane usually leaves empty, and so they do not make money on that leg of the journey…”.
She said that the players in the business “have approached the government to facilitate in a certain way that side of it so that it would lessen the cost because north-bound Grenada to Miami would have to pay for the north and south.”
“We are looking at other proposals because there is more produce than we can facilitate with what exists now,” she added.