Agriculture Minister: State Land Leases for Bonafide Wallerfield Farmers

The Government remains resolute in ensuring that the “real farmers” acquire long-term State leases for agricultural parcels that are not currently in productive use. Such was the revelation of the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat on Tuesday 26^th October, 2021, as he spoke to recipients at a Lease Letter Distribution Ceremony which took place at his Ministry’s Chaguanas Head Office.

In his address, he identified particularly with those State agricultural parcels in the Wallerfield area which he said, were being cultivated by farmers and despite their productive operations they were unable to make long-term investments in respect to the land because they are not a legal party to the land tenancy arrangement contracted with the State. This he said was untenable, as other persons who own the land were reaping the rewards of their hard work. Minister Rambharat added, that the Ministry will be taking decisive action in the Wallerfield area so as to ensure that these bonafide farmers have land that they can acquire a long-term lease for.

On the issue of agricultural State lands, Minister Rambharat noted that there have been an increasing number of requests for the sub-division of these parcels, a measure which he was reluctant to comply with, except for “extreme circumstances”. The Minister was adamant in the preservation of a longstanding principle that State land for agricultural purposes, not be subdivided. He further explained: “Agricultural plots were designed for the family to be able to work it and derive a certain level of income from it so when you start breaking it down to one (1)-acre parcels, everybody will want to build a house on them and then only a little piece will remain for a kitchen garden and these agricultural plots were not designed for kitchen gardens.”

The Minister also indicated that the Ministry was “on high alert” when it came to State land fraud and other illegalities. To this end he said that in the past few days, he has had to treat with two (2) respective matters which he revealed shall be reported to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, for further investigation.

At today’s event, twelve (12) persons received lease letters in respect to agricultural parcels. The letters convey Cabinet’s approval to grant a Standard Agricultural Lease for an initial period of thirty (30) years and affords them the privilege of accessing financial institutions and State entities in respect to the conduct of legitimate business transactions on their respective parcels.

 

Agriculture Minister: State support necessary in attracting youth into agriculture

As a major purchaser of food, the State must be willing to provide support to our local farmers through the provision of sustainable market opportunities if the agricultural sector is to grow and attract the interests of our young farmers. Such was the message of the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat as he delivered remarks at a Meeting of the Members of the Advisory Committee for Youth Development and Apprenticeship Centres and Non-Residential Youth Development Centres, held at his Ministry’s Chaguanas Head Office on Monday 25th October, 2021.

In his delivery the Minister identified several initiatives currently being undertaken by the State, which he noted was directly linked to encouraging the agricultural involvement of young people, whom he said had been disadvantaged in accessing many opportunities through the various incentives.

According to the Minister, while there are a number of youths involved in agriculture by virtue of them being active members of existing farming families, there are significant challenges in converting young persons with formal training and no history of agriculture, into the sector. Such a feat, he added, could only be achieved through the provision of technical support and training, specialised sector funding (namely the Youth ‘Fast Track’ Agricultural Finance Support Programme), as well as opportunities for the optimisation of strategic collaborations amongst the State’s major food consumers, namely the Regional Health Authorities, as well as the Ministry of Education’s School Feeding Programme. There is a need for agriculture to be perceived as being essential to the well-being of the country as opposed to being a manually intensive, high risk and low reward activity, Minister Rambharat said.

In his advice to the Members of the Advisory Committee for Youth Development and Apprenticeship Centres and Non-Residential Youth Development Centres, Minister Rambharat advocated for the inclusion of existing State resources in their final report, as this will make their recommendations cost effective and more practically conceivable.

Today’s meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service MYDNS) and included the Minister of Youth Development and National Service, the Honourable Foster Cummings and the Minister of Education, Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly.

Also in attendance were the: Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ms. Susan Shurland; Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, Mr. Farook Hosein and; Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Youth Development and Apprenticeship Centres and Non-Residential Youth Development Centres, Mr. Anthony Garcia.

 

 

 

Youth “Fast Track” Agro Incentive Grant Launched

October 20, 2021:- In an effort to make it faster and easier for young persons to access grant funding of up to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) under the Agricultural Finance Support Programme (Agro-Incentive Grant), Cabinet has agreed to the creation of a window from October 20, 2021 to December 15, 2021, whereby youth applicants will enter a ‘fast track’ process and have a decision made on their respective applications by January, 2022. The principal applicant must be aged eighteen (18) to thirty-five (35) as at December 15, 2021, in order to qualify.

A collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF) and the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS), this Youth “Fast Track” Agricultural Finance Support Programme was implemented to alleviate the inordinate delays experienced by young food producers in accessing grants, incentives and subsidies offered by the Ministry as a result of a number of existing constraints.

Priority financial support would be directed to: the shift towards protected farming; the introduction of energy-saving and labour saving technology and efficiency improvements; the acquisition of specialized equipment and value-added initiatives, particularly those related to on farm improvements to support the packaging of primary production. Priority will also be given in the first year to brand building; packaging; space expansion; research and product development; protection of intellectual property; and food safety compliance requirements. Grants would not be available for the purchase of vehicles and other non-essentials such as consultancy fees and regional and international travel.

As part of the ‘fast track’ process, the Cabinet has appointed a five (5) member Assessment Committee – comprising representatives from MALF, MYDNS and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) – to assess proposals / applications and present recommendations to the Permanent Secretary (MALF) by January 14, 2022.

For information on the Youth “Fast Track” Agricultural Finance Support Programme’s eligibility criteria, assessment criteria, approval process and Application Form, please see the following link: https://agriculture.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Fast-Track-Youth-Agricultural-Finance-Support-Programme-Agro-Incentive.pdf

TTPOST in Stamp Collection Launch with MALF

To commemorate the occasion of World Food Day, the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPOST) launched its Authentic Cuisine Stamp Collection Booklet at the NAMDEVCO Farmer’s Market in Chaguanas on Saturday 16th October, 2021.

The Booklet is entitled ‘Authentic Cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago’ and features ten (10) of some of this country’s most delectable dishes. These include: Saltfish and Provision, Chicken Pelau, Crab and Dumplin, Doubles, Bake and Shark, Roast Corn, Black Pudding, Cow Heel Soup, Chicken Roti and Sunday Lunch.

The initiative was a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and TTPOST, and was the second such partnership between both organisations, with the first being in 2018 at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Port of Spain.

In his address, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat congratulated TTPOST for another excellent initiative and thanked them for their collaboration with the Ministry. He added, that the stamps are a true representation of our local culture, as it depicts our colour, vitality, strength including the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic history of Trinidad and Tobago.

“Each of the stamps will undoubtedly resonate a personal connection and it will also remind us of this country’s rich tradition,” Minister Rambharat said.

Also addressing the event was the Chairman of TTPOST, Mr. Hakeem Ahmad, who said that by nurturing and promoting philately and stamp collecting, TTPOST will be able to partner with the national community to record and deliver our rich heritage to the international community. The Chairman added: “Stamps are pictorial ambassadors for country on a tiny canvas. The year’s stamp collection was intended to depict our local foods, which are a fusion of various cultural influences that make Trinidad and Tobago the beautiful melting pot to experience, even through food.”

Also in attendance at the launch were: Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh; Permanent Secretary (Ag.), MALF, Ms. Susan Shurland; Deputy Chairman of TTPOST, Mr. Michael Seales; Managing Director of TTPOST, Mr. Francis Lucien Delpesh and; General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Mr. Carl Ramdeo.

The Authentic Cuisine Stamp Collection Booklet will be available to the national community at all TTPOST locations from Monday 18th October, 2021.

 

T&T’s World Food Day Committee leads the charge in encouraging food security

With a distribution of seeds and seedlings to more than five hundred (500) patrons of the Chaguanas Farmers’ Market earlier today (16/10/2021), the World Food Day National Committee of Trinidad and Tobago (WFDNCTT) would have fulfilled its objective of achieving food security by encouraging persons to grow their own. Such were the echoed sentiments of the Chair of the WFDNCTT, Ms. Wilhelmina Kissoonsingh, as she outlined, the purpose behind her Committee’s presence at the market at the Head Office compound of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF), as well as its (WFDNCTT) many undertakings in commemoration of World Food Day (WFD) 2021.

She said that in light of this year’s WFD theme – ‘Our actions are our future – Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life,’ there was no better time than now to engender upon the nation’s citizenry, a culture of self-sustenance through meaningful food production. For this reason, the WFDNCTT’s distribution of seeds and seedlings were accompanied by pertinent literature which also served to guide home gardeners and prospective home gardeners on how best to engage in the business of agriculture.

Patrons of the farmers’ market were treated to a wide variety of seedlings (pakchoi, cauliflower, melongene, tomatoes, cabbage) and seeds (corn, pigeon peas, melongene, ochro, bodi and pumpkin), with some of the early-bird market shoppers, benefitting from some overgrown, chataigne plants, which were also distributed free of charge. On this latter disbursement, Ms. Kissoonsingh expressed a tremendous sense of gratitude to MALF’s Research Division for the donation of the chataigne plants which she noted had been well-received by patrons, as it was a variety not readily accessible for purchase by farmers. She said of the overall experience at the market: “The feedback from today was extremely heartening as many seemed genuinely enthusiastic to receive the plants, seeds and seedlings, even if it meant standing in cue for extended periods of time, even after they had just completed their routine market errands.” These said patrons she added, also engaged with members of the WFDNCTT on several gardening tips and advice on best practice and were often redirected to MALF’s website and the social media outlets of MALF’s Extension, Training and Information Services (ETIS) Division.

Also taking the opportunity on World Food Day (16/10/2021) to touch on the WFDNCTT’s commemoration, Ms. Kissoonsingh urged persons of the need to participate in this year’s installment of Run for Food – the popular 5K Walk / Run charity event hosted by both Massy Stores and the WFDNCTT – which for the first time since its commencement back in 2016, will be hosted virtually (click here to register:- https://bafasports.com/runforfood). She added too that the locally and regionally acclaimed event – which traditionally comprised a course along the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain in addition to a Zumba “cool-down” session – had to take a different route in light of the pandemic and its associated health concerns.

Ms. Kissoonsingh also lauded the participation of an unprecedented twenty (20) schools in this year’s ‘plant torch’ activity which – like this year’s Run for Food activity – will also be hosted virtually. The activity, which will commence from early as next week, will involve the nurturing of a mammy apple plant by 4H students within a specific period, during which, they will be required to document their experiences through the production of jingles and various forms of artistic expressions which will then be assessed and awarded through a competitive process.

In addition, Ms. Kissoonsingh hinted at the WFDNCTT’s desire to showcase a virtual exhibition involving agri-business entrepreneurs within the next few weeks and of its future plans to host an interactive and engaging panel discussion on a topic associated with this year’s WFD theme, in keeping with the level of public interest and success garnered from its prior, ‘Food Price Challenge’ webinar hosted in March of this year.

 

Agriculture Minister Urges State Lease Tenants: “Help us by following-up on your land matters”

Persons with outstanding land matters have been asked to step forward and bring it to the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. Such an invitation came from the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, as he addressed recipients during a series of Lease Letter Distribution exercises held on Tuesday 12th October, 2021, at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas.

The Minister said that while he was grateful for the patience exhibited by lease letter recipients and other State land tenants, he asked that persons “be a bit more conscientious” when “following up” on their respective matters.  He said that the situation no longer called for persons waiting for decades in silence, and he urged members of the public with long outstanding issues to come forward, even if it meant writing to him directly for assistance. Minister Rambharat also noted that the average waiting time for the execution of a State lease was now just about seven (7) months which was a major improvement from the ten (10) to fifteen (15) years it took prior to his assumption to office in 2015.

Amongst the lease letter recipients was Ms. Chandra Singh, who received a lease letter after forty-two (42) years. Ms. Singh expressed great delight and relief after receiving her letter from the Honourable Minister.

Of the twenty-five (25) lease letters distributed today, twenty-two (22) were for agricultural parcels, two (2) were for residential parcels and one (1) for an institutional parcel. These letters convey Cabinet’s approval to grant a State land lease for a specific period (and under specific covenants). They now enable recipients to engage both financial institutions and State entities to conduct legitimate business transactions on the aforementioned parcels.

 

 

Two (2) new Directors appointed to the Board of NAMDEVCO

 

Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, issued letters of appointment to two (2) newly installed Directors of the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) on Tuesday 12^th October, 2021.

The Directors – Mr. Alpha Sennon and Mr. Mark Ramdwar – received their appointment letters at the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries’ Head Office in Chaguanas, following a series of Lease Letter Distribution exercises which was hosted by Minister Rambharat earlier today. Both gentlemen are expected to receive their Instruments of Appointment at a subsequent date.

NAMDEVCO is the Statutory Body which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, with a mandate “to create, facilitate and maintain an environment conducive to the efficient marketing of agricultural produce and food products through the provision of marketing services and the stimulation of business investment in the agro-industrial sector of Trinidad and Tobago.” Its Board is Chaired by Mr. Wayne Inniss with Mr. Liaquat Ali, serving as the Deputy Chairman. Other Directors include: Ms. Tricia Melville, Mr. Kodi Moore, Mr. Stefan Ramroop and Mr. Felix Clarke.

 

Fourteen (14) receive Lease Letters in respect to

Agricultural and Residential State Lands

Fourteen (14) persons were the proud recipients of lease letters distributed earlier today by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries at its Head Office in Chaguanas.

In speaking to the recipients, Agriculture Minister, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat said the letters represented an end to a very lengthy process for them. In some instances the exercise would have taken decades to expedite given the complexity in addressing some of the State land issues. Despite, these numerous challenges the Minister indicated he was always focused on treating expeditiously with all files coming to his office. This he said, would have meant at times, drafting the relevant Cabinet Notes by himself.

Minister Rambharat said he was very optimistic about the processing of leases going forward and has seen an improvement in this area ever since the Ministry embarked on the digitization of all land files to significantly address the issues of the inordinate delay.  

At today’s event, eleven (11) persons received lease letters in respect to agricultural parcels, while three (3) persons received lease letters in respect to residential parcels. The letters convey Cabinet’s approval to grant a Standard Agricultural / Residential Lease for an initial period of thirty (30) years. They also serve as a guarantee to recipients as it affords them the privilege of accessing financial institutions and State entities in respect to the conduct of legitimate business transactions on their respective parcels.