Business View Caribbean | Volume 8, Issue 10

36 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10 Vincent, which is Argyle Airport, and at Canouan. But after awhile that phased out a bit and we more or less returned to the normal slowdown that has been so notable during COVID-19. “For cargo operations, initially, we suffered from the same problem as many businesses – difficulties receiving cargo. But after awhile it picked back up and the flow is now relatively steady. Occasionally, we still have problems associated with the worldwide shipping shortage that has affected everyone. Items that would take three weeks in the past, now probably take six weeks and it’s going to cost you more. We have been affected by that and our local clients have been as well. People now have to pay more attention to the lead times that it will take them to get certain supplies. In terms of the volume of traffic passing through here however, the figure is almost steady when compared to 2019.” BVC: Is cargo a division that you would like to grow? Robertson: “Yes, our main focus in that area is export. There is an imbalance between our airport inbound and outbound cargo. Our outbound cargo – export – mainly caters to the agricultural industry. Fisheries and traditional agriculture are what we’re trying to promote. “At the moment, the government has a joint venture project in place to develop a seafood processing plant. That plant is almost completed and expected to open soon. Part of that will be to export our seafood. Our territorial waters go quite far and therefore we have much opportunity in those areas. At the moment, we do have two seafood processing plants on the islands – one was in an area severely impacted by the volcanic eruption and that one was closed. However, the one in Bequia has been doing very well. We have been able to keep things going because we have diversified our focus during this threat to remain relevant and viable.”