Minister Ratiram Congratulates Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim on Appointment as IICA Director General

November 7, 2025 – Port of Spain, Trinidad – Senator the Honourable Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, extends warm congratulations to Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on his election as Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for the 2026–2030 term.

 

Minister Ratiram described Dr. Ibrahim’s appointment as a “significant milestone not only for Guyana but for the entire Caribbean region and the wider Americas,” noting that his leadership will be pivotal in advancing agricultural development, rural wellbeing, and food system resilience throughout the hemisphere.

 

Dr. Ibrahim brings to this position an extensive record of achievement in agricultural science, innovation, and institutional leadership. Between 2016 and 2023, he served as Director General of CATIE, where he championed sustainable livestock systems, agro-environmental management, and the mobilisation of development finance for Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also held senior roles within IICA, including Director of Technical Cooperation, where he was instrumental in strengthening partnerships, enhancing technical capacity, and mobilising resources across member states.

 

Minister Ratiram emphasises that Dr. Ibrahim’s election validates the world-class talent and leadership that the Caribbean continues to contribute to global agricultural development and notes that this appointment presents several key opportunities for the region, including:

 

• Enhanced technical cooperation and knowledge sharing between IICA and national agricultural institutions.
• Greater advocacy for small-state vulnerabilities, including climate change, trade challenges, and food security.
• Expanded capacity building and resource mobilisation for small farmers and rural communities.
• Inspiration for youth across the Caribbean to view agriculture as a modern, innovative, and globally relevant career path.

 

As Dr. Ibrahim prepares to assume office on January 15, 2026, Minister Ratiram expressed confidence that his vision for innovation, investment, and inclusion will align closely with Trinidad and Tobago’s own agricultural priorities including climate-smart agriculture, food security, and sustainable rural development.

 

“We look forward to deepening collaboration with IICA under Dr. Ibrahim’s leadership,” Minister Ratiram stated. “Together, we can strengthen agriculture as a driver of sustainable development, food security, and prosperity across the region.”

 

The Minister concluded commending outgoing Director General, Dr. Manuel Otero, for his eight-year tenure in which IICA developed a differentiated strategy for small-island developing states, strengthened rural youth and women’s leadership through programmes such as the “Leaders of Rurality” initiative, and launched emergency-response financing and innovative capacity-building projects for the Caribbean region.

 

Minister Ratiram noted that Otero’s leadership helped position agriculture and rural development as vehicles for inclusion and resilience in vulnerable states.

 

– END –