Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 06, 2012 News
By Abena Rockcliffe
Come next week, Trinidad and Tobago’s Food Production Minister, Devant Maharaj, is expected to lead a delegation to Guyana to engage in talks of Trinidad setting up a “food security facility” in Guyana.
According to the Trinidad Guardian the trip is pending the “approval of a Cabinet note.”
This newspaper understands that the delegation includes Maharaj, his permanent secretary and other technocrats from the Food and Production Ministry.
Kaieteur News learnt that the deal, if sealed, would allow Trinidad access to land in Guyana for food production purposes.
Though much detail wasn’t available, this newspaper understands that meat, primarily beef, is one of the products that Trinidad is considering for the facility which Minister of Agriculture, Leslie Ramsammy yesterday referred to as a “mega farm.”
Reports are that earlier this year, the Trinidadian Government had set a target year of 2015 for the food import bill to be cut by 50 per cent. Last year, the country’s food import bill was TT$4 billion said Maharaj.
Ramsammy, gave November 14 and November 15 as the date of the visit by the Trinidadian delegation. He noted that since the agreement “years ago” that Caricom states could utilize lands in Guyana to reduce the regional food security bill; Trinidad’s interest seems to be the first “serious effort.”
He said that the agreement was met as Caricom heads saw the urgent need to reduce the regional food importation bill and acknowledged Guyana as the country with the most land availability. He disclosed Guyana’s annual food importation bill is US$200M.
On the beneficial side for Guyana, Dr Ramsammy said that the venture will increase foreign investments, create job opportunities and hopefully address some of Guyana’s food needs.
Acknowledging that Trinidad’s primary investment might come through the investment in meat, Ramsammy said that this will be beneficial to Guyana as “we don’t import beef but we import milk…We want to develop a cattle industry that will produce meat and milk enough to supply the local market.”
He said that more cows will help Guyana either reduce the amount of imported milk or stop its importation completely.
The Agriculture Minister said that potentially, “this will be a large export investment.” The Minister noted that “we will like to be able to supply meat to our country, Trinidad and the wider Caribbean.
However, Ramsammy said that the Government is committed to ensuring that lands remain available for Guyanese who want to farm.
Asked if land has been yet identified, the Minister replied in the negative.
According to the Trinidad Guardian, intention to seal the deal was announced by Trinidad’s Finance Minister, Larry Howai, during the reading of the budget in October.
The newspaper quoted the Minister during his reading of the budget indicating “The facility would commit both Governments to expanding agricultural production in Guyana through the establishment of commercial relationships for funding the establishment of several large agricultural estates in Guyana.”
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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