Agriculture Ministry gives $0.5M in Agro-Incentive Grants
October 09, 2020:- Six (6) persons were the successful recipients of Agro-Incentive Grants totaling some $0.5M from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries earlier on today. The cheques were presented to them by the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable, Clarence Rambharat at an event hosted at the Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas. Also in attendance was the Permanent Secretary, (Ag), Ms. Susan Shurland.
Minister Rambharat, in his remarks, indicated that the Agro Incentive Programme is significant and very much needed in order to assist farmers in acquiring the necessary resources for new techniques, equipment and technology. To this end, he reflected on the first 18 months of his tenure, during which he had visited some 250 farms and observed first-hand, the many gaps in the agricultural support offered to farmers, which, he said did not adequately treat with some of their infrastructural, technological and environmental needs.
While also admitting that land tenure “remained at the heart of the problem”, given the need for farmers to safeguard the tremendous amount of investment that goes into agriculture, Minister Rambharat was particularly heartened by the work of the young farmers in the Kunjal / Barrackpore communities and lauded their efforts in advancing the country’s pineapple industry.
Speaking after the conclusion of the event was Mr. Ackil Garraway of Arouca, one of the recipients of the Agro- Incentive Grant. He indicated that he would be utilizing his grant to improve his current poultry systems, including the implementation of bell-drinkers and space ray brooders. Another recipient, Mr. Ravi Renie said that his grant would be used to “ramp-up” his current paw-paw production by improving his “irrigation and mechanisation initiatives” so that we would be in a position to provide a consistent supply to his growing clientele in Sangre Grande, through the production of “about 200 trees, every two (2) months”. Other recipients of the Agro-Incentive Grant were Robert Simon, Ronald Chan, Mr. Christopher Springer, and the Montserrat Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society Limited.
The Agro-Incentive Programme was launched by the Agriculture Ministry in October 2018.
Persons interested in obtaining information about the programme can visit the Ministry website at:
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat (left), presents an Agro-Incentive Grant to representatives of the Montserrat Cocoa Farmers Co-operative Society Limited (centre and right), at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Friday 9th October, 2020, following a brief distribution ceremony.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ms. Susan Shurland (left), presents an Agro-Incentive Grant to Mr. Ravi Renie (right), at her Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Friday 9th October, 2020, following a brief distribution ceremony
Agriculture Minister: 1,500 persons to Benefit from Land Regularization
Approximately 1500 families are expected to benefit when the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries engages in a regularization exercise in the distribution of leases for the regularization of land in Rio- Claro, Mission Lands or Jones Town and in the Dundonald Hill, Long Circular, St. James Communities over the course of the week, so said Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honorable Clarence Rambharat.
The Minister was speaking at a Lease Letter Distribution Ceremony at the MALF Head Office in Chaguanas earlier today. Lease Letters were distributed to four (4) recipients, three (3) agricultural and one (1) residential. This was the second lease letter distribution ceremony hosted by the Ministry in the last week.
On the topic of affordability for residential property, Minister Rambharat said the Government had addressed the issue and have implemented several measures which will allow property owners a greater amount of flexibility. These include:
- The Aided Self-Help Housing Programme – where persons who qualify can access some 4,000 lots at 30% of the market value.
- Restructuring the pricing of Land in the Land Settlement Agency (LSA) Programme for squatter regularization, and in so doing, making the land more affordable.
- A review of the structure of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) in relation to the pricing of land that goes with the housing, making homes those more affordable.
- Affordability in the renewal of leases, where persons who would have occupied residential land for a prolonged period and are currently renewing or for those individuals who have obtained legal occupation of the property by virtue of a deceased relative. These persons will now benefit from a 30% pricing formulae where they will be given to opportunity to pay outright for the land or pay an annual rental of 3.5%.
Minister Rambharat added, that the lease letter distribution was an important exercise as it gives persons the opportunity to see the progress being made by the Ministry, and also it gives persons who are awaiting on leases to come forward so that their matters can be addressed.
Persons receiving lease letters today were, Mr. Ramdat Ramdial, Ms. Tricia Helen Brown-Williams and Mr. Shameel Ali while Merle Danclar received a residential lease.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat (centre), is flanked by lease letter recipients at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Monday 12th October, 2020, following a brief distribution ceremony.
Six More Persons receive Agro Incentive $$$$ from Agriculture Ministry
October 12, 2020:- Six (6) more persons were the recipients of Agro Incentive Cheques distributed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries earlier today. Agriculture Minister, Clarence Rambharat congratulated them on their achievements and indicated that he was pleased to see the different areas of farming backgrounds which the farmers came from. These include, Protected Farming, Livestock and Hydroponics. He said the financial resources that they receive from the Ministry today, will further assist them in their overall development; whereby acquiring the necessary technology, equipment and techniques for which is the intended purpose of the Agro- Incentive Grant.
Agro-Incentive cheques totaling approximately $518,000.00 were disbursed by the Ministry to Marlon Rooplal, Indar Parbhoo, Lennox Lewis, George Davis, Khalid Ali and Eric Hagley.
Today’s event was also attended by the Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry, Ms. Susan Shurland.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries held a similar event on Friday 9th October, 2020.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat (4th from right), is flanked by the recipients of the Agro-Incentive Grant, at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Monday 12th October 2020, following a brief distribution ceremony. Also in the image is the Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry, Ms. Susan Shurland (extreme left).
ebook Trade and Covid-19
Agriculture Minister: Ministry Moving Towards Digitization of State Land Files
October 06, 2020:- The $500 million agricultural stimulus, provisioned for in the 2020/2021 Budget, will assist the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries in funding a series of projects, including the digitization of State land files so as to ensure a more timely distribution of agricultural parcels. So said the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, as he addressed seven (7) recipients of a Lease Letter Distribution Ceremony at the Ministry’s Head Office earlier today.
Minister Rambharat also lamented that persons had to wait “an average of 30 years” to have their leases “straightened out” and indicated that with the digitization of State land files, it would vastly improve and accelerate the process. He said that approximately 10,000 of the 30,000 State land files had been digitized over the last five (5) years and with the implementation of the digitization process, the Ministry’s expectation for the remaining 20,000 files will be (2) years.
The Agriculture Minister also reminded recipients of an earlier statement which he said about persons who would have received leases to use state land for agriculture purposes but have not done so. These individuals he said, are in breach and as such, the Agriculture Ministry will be moving aggressively to reclaim those lands and to subsequently have them re-distributed for their intended purpose.
The lease letters distributed today, conveyed Cabinet’s approval to grant, standard agricultural leases for an initial period of thirty (30) years and will enable recipients to engage financial entities and State agencies in respect to their agricultural parcels.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat (centre), is flanked by seven (7) lease letter recipients at his Ministry’s Head Office in Chaguanas on Tuesday 6th October, 2020, following a brief distribution ceremony.
TT cocoa farmers earn $18 million in two years
By Ryan Hamilton-Davis
BETWEEN 2018 and 2019, cocoa farmers have garnered $17.9 million in exports.
So said Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, during the launch of the second National Cocoa Awards, held virtually on Friday.
In her address, she added that up to August this year, TT cocoa farmers have made about $4.6 million in revenue.
“Our cocoa beans are of premium value and gains significant revenue,” Gopee-Scoon said.
She said TT’s major export markets are in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and the United States. She added that the top three exporters of local cocoa earns about $500,000 annually.
“This is gratifying as it shows an international palate exists for local cocoa,” Gopee-Scoon said.
Minister of Agriculture Clarence Rambharat, while lauding the farmers’ successes internationally, said funding and technological support will be provided to cocoa farmers to encourage more cultivation and value adding to the popular bean.
But importantly, Rambharat promised to do more for land security for cocoa farmers.
“We have to keep farmers productive and we have to ensure that their land is secure,” Rambharat said.
Cocoa Development TT director Jacqueline Robins boasted that TT cocoa farmers are among the top farmers of the bean in the world having been received eight international cocoa awards – the most collected among any other country in the world.
“This clearly validates our superiority in cocoa,” Robins said.
Last year’s winners, Leroy and Geeta Peters said they were surprised when their names were called as the best producers of cocoa in the country. After their win, they said they got a lot of support from the community, friends and family.
“I come from a cocoa family. My wife as well,” Leroy Peters said. “When we heard we were winners it was out of this world. I always knew we had excellent beans.”
SporTT, Namdevco partner to support sports, agricultural development
By LOOP NEWS
The Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (SporTT) and the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) have formalised an agreement to expand locations for Farmers’ Markets and provide nutrition advice and local food “fuel” sustenance for athletes and by extension the nation.
Speaking at the signing event, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat noted that, “we eat for fuel and putting NAMDEVCO and SporTT to work together will ensure that persons know what fuel they need for their body especially when it comes to controlling Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases.”
The agreement will see in part, providing of access to suitable SporTT locations for NAMDEVCO Farmers’ Markets and collaboration with SporTT’s Elite Development & Performance Unit to develop meal plans for athletes using strictly local foods, by season and available at Farmers’ Markets.
SporTT Chairman Douglas Camacho added: “This partnership is off the mainstream as it comes and demonstrates the creativity of T&T especially in times when change is mandatory to survive a pandemic.”
The agreement once enabled, will also see food baskets being provided to athletes in need and athletes in the Elite programme.
NAMDEVCO will also be working with SporTT towards the development of healthy meal options and alternatives using local foods.
This as NAMDEVCO Chairman Dennis Ramdeen noted, “now is the best time to get creative to ensure the future food and nutrition security of the nation.”
RESTRICTIONS ON POSSESSION AND SALE OF WILD MEAT FROM
OCTOBER 1, 2020
The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries in its Media Release dated September 14, 2020 advised that it had postponed the sale of State Game Licences for the purpose of hunting as set out in the Conservation of Wildlife Act. That remains the position based on advice from the Ministry of Health (MoH) that wildlife hunting encourages congregation.
The Ministry also advised that the Conservator of Forests was still considering aspects of hunting. In light of the postponement of the sale of State Game Licences, the Conservator of Forests is aware of the fact that, without changes to the Conservation of Wild Life Regulations, it is still possible to hunt on private lands and possess and/or sell “wild meat” from October 1, 2020. Without controls there is need to ensure that the market for “wild meat” is not flooded by illegally imported meat, creating another public health risk.
Accordingly, the Conservator of Forests has advised the Minister and the Minister has amended the Conservation of Wild Life Regulations. Effective October 1, 2020 until further notice the Second Schedule to the Conservation of Wild Life Act is amended by deleting the list of animals and birds listed in Parts I and II and most of the cage birds listed in Part III.
Further, the Regulations relating to possession and sale of wild meat from October 1, 2020 are also amended. In effect, from tomorrow October 1, 2020 no person shall have in his possession the whole or any part of an animal, serve, purchase, sell, offer, advertise for sale or expose for sale of the carcass or meat, frozen, fresh, cooked or otherwise any animal referred to in the Third Schedule of the Conservation of Wild Life Act Regulations. This includes Agouti, Tattoo, Lappe, Deer and Quenk.
The Conservator of Forests and other officers of the Ministry will be providing more details to the public on these changes so the public is aware of these new restrictions and prohibitions.
