Agriculture Minister: Ministry working towards informing persons about outstanding land matters in a timely manner

“While persons do not expect to have their leases ready in just one (1) week, they do expect and deserve, however, to be apprised on the status of their respective land matters.” Such was the prevailing sentiment of the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat on Tuesday 5th October, 2021, as he addressed recipients during a series of Lease Letter Distribution ceremonies which took place at his Ministry’s Head office in Chaguanas. His comments were made as he outlined the value of the lease letters, which informed State land tenants / would-be tenants, in writing, that the Cabinet had in fact, granted approval for their respective leases. This form of communication, he said was not previously done and State land beneficiaries were often left frustrated as they were unaware of such approval/status even after several decades. The Minister added too that while there have been some improvements in this area by the Agriculture Ministry, further steps have been taken to address this perennial issue.

On the issue of the survey plan which is the next step for the lease letter recipients, Minister Rambharat said the costs for the survey of State Lands which the lease applicant (and not the State) now incurs was quite nominal, particularly when one considers current valuation costs associated with the acquisition of agricultural and residential properties. Each applicant now has a moral and financial obligation to meet the survey costs associated with the execution of his / her agricultural lease, as they were already highly subsidized by the taxpayer, he said.

The twenty-six (26) lease letters distributed earlier today by the Minister were in respect to agricultural, residential, institutional and homestead parcels. It will enable farmers, entrepreneurs and homeowners to engage directly with financial entities and State agencies to conduct legitimate business with respect to their State land parcels.

 

Agriculture Minister: New Agricultural Initiative coming soon for persons Eighteen – (18) to Thirty-Five (35)

A new agricultural initiative which will benefit persons between the ages of eighteen (18) and thirty –five (35) will soon be announced. This was the revelation from the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat as he addressed recipients of both the Agro-Incentive Grant and Lease Letters at a ceremony held earlier today at MALF Head Office in Chaguanas.

Of the sixteen (16) lease letters distributed, fifteen (15) of them were in respect to agricultural parcels with one (1) being a homestead parcel. According to the Minister, these lease letters conveys Cabinet’s approval to grant State land leases for tenured periods under fixed covenant and it also empowers its recipients by granting them legitimate access to both financial and State institutions in respect to their individual parcels.

In expressing some frustration with the COVID-19 Pandemic and its adverse impact on the business end, the Minister said, despite these challenges and the numerous setbacks which would have delayed the work of the Land Management Division (LMD) in addressing land issues, he remains very optimistic that the current situation will soon be regularized with the impending return of a full complement of officers within the public service.

Agro- Incentive Grant Cheques were also distributed to two (2) recipients who were invited by the Honourable Minister to the podium to give a brief background on their projects and the proposed plans for the grant.

The Agro-Incentive Programme was launched in October 2018 and is intended to assist farmers and agro-processors who needed a particular kind of intervention not previously provided for under the Ministry’s traditional incentives. The programme facilitates the need for infrastructural and technological advancement, increased production, sustainability, resilience to climate change and the overall enhancement of health and safety conditions.

 

Minister Rambharat: Our Objective is to make Good Farmers Better Farmers

 

In delivering his remarks at an Agro-Incentive Cheque Distribution event earlier today at the Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas, Agriculture Minister, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat said the objective of the Agro-Incentive Grant along with several other initiatives are all aimed at making good farmers better farmers, as there are now a number of facilities in place for them to access in order to expand their enterprises to become more successful.

He iterated that the agricultural sector has seen an increase in the productivity levels during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as it was viewed as an essential service with many farmers having also taking the opportunity to sell their produce at the various Farmers Markets throughout the country.

Minister Rambharat said that while land tenure continued to be a challenge, the Ministry was working diligently to address this concern with a technology-driven approach in order to be more efficient.

On the issue of Agro-Processing, the Minister said the Expression of Interest process for the outfitting and operation of the incomplete Brechin Castle Packing House project was recently completed and will be placed in the hands of the successful private entity, with the outfitting expected to be completed in approximately six (6) months. He added too that PriceSmart will soon be establishing its Regional Distribution Centre at the Phoenix Park Estate at Point Lisas where it will be packaging and distributing agricultural produce for its stores. To this end, such will be another major opportunity for farmers to market their produce.

Minister Rambharat said Green Houses in this country had not generated the type of impact which he had hoped given the existing climatic conditions, pest and disease management issues and the demand from supermarkets and restaurants for a consistent supply of commodities. All of these issues he opined, can be easily resolved in a controlled environment. In this regard, he said that the Government will soon be making an investment in greenhouses, making it available only to qualified persons who have the experience, expertise and the ability to manage them. In addition, a private sector company has been approved to establish and operate a modern greenhouse in close proximity to the St. Augustine Nurseries in St. Joseph.

At today’s event, seventeen (17) recipients received a total of $1.6m in Agro-Incentive Grants. Also in attendance were the Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh and Permanent Secretary (Ag) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ms. Susan Shurland.

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF SALES OFFICES

Please be informed that all Sales offices at the following locations will be temporarily closed on Thursday 30^th September 2021 due to the end of financial year 2021:

• Augustine Nurseries, Curepe
• La Reunion Plant Propagation Station, Centeno
• Marper Farm, Manzanilla
• The National Seed Bank, Chaguaramas

Normal Business Hours will resume with effect from Friday 1^st October 2021.

The Agricultural Services Division thanks all our clients for their understanding and cooperation.

 

Director,

Agricultural Services Division

27/9/2021

ISSUANCE OF STATE GAME LICENCES

FOR THE 2021-2022 HUNTING SEASON

 

The Conservator of Forests/Chief Game Warden wishes to advise that the hunting of designated wildlife will commence on Friday 1^st October, 2021 and end on February 28^th, 2022. This is in accordance with the Conservation of Wildlife Act.

In this regard, State Game Licences will be available from Monday 27^th September, 2021 between the hours of 8:00 am and 2:00 pm, Monday to Friday at the following Forestry Division Offices in Trinidad and Tobago:

§  Long Circular Road, St. James	§ Rio Claro
§  San Fernando	§  Sangre Grande
§  Tunapuna §  Roxborough (Tobago)	§  Chaguanas §  Scarborough (Tobago)

State Game Licences will cost $100 each (with a Limit of 3 State Game Licences per hunter).  Persons visiting the Forestry Division Offices to purchase a State Game Licence must adhere to the established COVID-19 protocols, in particular, the wearing of face mask and avoiding congregation in accordance with the Public Heath Guidelines

Each station will facilitate on average between 100-150 persons per day.

The Ministry thanks all hunters for their continued support and again wishes to remind persons to be responsible and follow the required COVID 19 guidelines, to ensure a safe and successful hunting season.

 

 

Adjustments to the opening hours of the Royal Botanic Gardens

The Public is hereby notified that the opening hours of the Royal Botanic Gardens, inclusive of the Wildflower Park, will be adjusted from August 01, 2021 as detailed below.

• August 01, 2021: 6a.m. to 10a.m.
• August 02, 2021: CLOSED
• Effective August 03, 2021:

Monday to Friday:

6a.m. to 9a.m. and

3p.m. to 6p.m.

Saturday and Sunday:

6a.m. to 10a.m.

Patrons are further advised that the use of Royal Botanic Gardens, inclusive of the Wildflower Park, to host picnics and photoshoots (weddings, commercials etc.) has been suspended until further notice.

Patrons are reminded that all COVID19 safety protocols are to be observed. Hence you are required to:

• Stay at home if you are ill or displaying flu-like symptoms
• Wear face masks
• Practice physical distancing, maintain a distance of six (6) feet between persons of different households
• Wash hands at the wash sinks placed throughout the gardens
• Manage sneezes and coughs according to the etiquette recommended by the Ministry of Health, PAHO and WHO and
• Continue to use the Royal Botanic Gardens, inclusive of the Wildflower Park, according to the regulations posted at the North and South entrances to the Gardens and at the Wildflower Park.

Homestead Development Agreement Signed between MALF and the Rural Development Company Limited (RDC)

July 31, 2021: In an effort to encourage young persons into the agriculture sector while also providing an opportunity for young families desirous of constructing a house on land where they can be involved in agriculture, the Government has revived its Homestead Policy and will soon commence the development of State Land located at El Reposo in Sangre Grande for such use.

This was the revelation of Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries on Friday 30^th July, 2021, following the signing of a Framework Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF) and the Rural Development Company Limited (RDC) at MALF’s Head Office in Chaguanas. Also present at the signing of the Agreement were the Minister of Youth Development and National Service, the Honourable Foster Cummings, the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein and the Chairman of the Rural Development Company Limited (RDC), Ms. Patricia Alexis.

According to Minister Rambharat, the establishment of these homesteads will involve the partnership of the three (3) respective Ministries, each with key functions. To this end, he identified MALFs, role in relation to its responsibility for both agriculture and State lands; the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government (RDLG) which has overarching responsibility for the RDC through which the project will be executed and; the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, the stakeholders of which, have been identified as the beneficiaries of the homestead initiative.

Minister Rambharat noted that it has been “quite a while since any Government has allowed the creation of new homestead areas in the country”. The Government’s revival of the Homestead Policy will witness the meaningful development of prime agricultural lands in the country, the first of which will be in El Reposo with another site identified in Talparo, he said.

The initiative, Minister Rambharat remarked, was based on Cabinet’s decision to revamp the Homestead Policy. Both the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government along with the RDC, collaborated to establish a framework agreement to develop homestead sites in El Reposo on the East Coast and another at a larger site in the area of Talparo, he said.

The Minster added: “These sites are historically agricultural but on this occasion, we are only signing the one that is ready to start, and that is in El Reposo. We expect that in the not-too-distant future, an agreement will be signed for Talparo.”

In his remarks at the ceremony, Minister Hosein said he was heartened by the confidence placed in the RDC in the execution of the development project and elaborated that the project may commence from as early as next week. Additionally, Minister Cummings indicated that the revival of the Homestead Policy provided not only an avenue for the enhancement of the nation’s food production but an opportunity to get young people involved in agriculture. It will also provide them with a home and a location from which they can perfect their interests in the agricultural sector, he said.

Signing the Framework Agreement on behalf of MALF was the Permanent Secretary (Ag.), Ms. Susan Shurland while the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Jason Kissoon represented the RDC. The witnesses were: Senior Legal Officer (MALF), Ms. Laurelle Ralph, and Legal Counsel/ Corporate Secretary (RDC), Mr. Arshad Mohammed.