Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said the country’s private sector may be missing out on valuable agribusiness opportunities in Guyana and Suriname.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Piarco International Airport on Wednesday following his return from the CARICOM 46th Heads of Government, Dr Rowley said there was some disappointment that these opportunities were not being actively explored:
He said there are viable agribusiness opportunities within CARICOM to ramp up food production.
“One of the things I’d also like to see is the Trinidad and Tobago business sector being involved in the agribusiness in Guyana. There are people from all over the world who are there getting land in Guyana and Suriname and taking the opportunities, and it was raised at CARICOM with private sector representatives that there’s a certain element of disappointment that we have not seen our own private sector taking the risk, leading the charge to utilize the land that is available.
“For example Suriname has made available probably around 3,000 acres of land for CARICOM private sector people coming and land is available for agriculture. There has not been a single taker so far.
“So the excitement at the level of the political directorate is not mirrored by the private sector taking up these offers which had not been on the table before.”
Dr Rowley said Trinidad and Tobago is increasing its food production with the help of Guyana, having increased its rice production from 100 to 1,000 acres with the help of rice seeds from Guyana.
For the season, Dr Rowley said 340 tonnes of rice have already been harvested with more on the way.
He said government has also ordered 500 coconut seedlings and intends to order another batch to ramp up coconut production.
Dr Rowley said he toured parts of Guyana during his visit including the town of Lethem in the Rupununi near the Brazilian border, where cattle, soya, and corn are being produced.
He also visited cattle ranches however that beef isn’t imported to Trinidad and Tobago due to some policies, adding that that needs to be reviewed.
“We need review that to ensure that we are not depriving ourselves of certain benefits by holding onto dated operations. We will have to review that to see whether in fact once the USDA conditions are met that Trinidad and Tobago should not exclude itself from those possibilities.
“I know some technical persons will tell me that ‘well though they have USDA clearance and beef is available, that we may expose ourselves to foot and mouth’, and if that is so, I will point out that…those Trinidad and Tobago farmers in the south of Trinidad who are operating smuggling of Venezuelan cattle into Trinidad, they provide a greater risk for foot and mouth that USDA certified beef from Guyana.”
Dr Rowley said he would instruct the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries to address these situations moving forward.
CARICOM has pledged to reduce its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025. (Loop News)
