MEDIA RELEASE

Lessons and Challenges: Cooperation in the Era of Coronavirus

 

23^rd March, 2020: We are witnessing the spread of a new pandemic in the 21st century. Now less than four months since it first erupted, this emergency is rocking the world, and we are not yet able to foresee what life will be like in a few months, when this dramatic event is finally over.

Amidst the confusion, fear and disorientation, we can draw some conclusions and identify preliminary lessons. The first is obvious. This situation is having a greater impact on economies that are excessively dependent on one sector, such as tourism, petroleum or agricultural raw materials. The structural, long-term antidote to this is diversification.

The slowing down of trade is also endangering people’s ability to fully exercise their right to food, especially in countries with an extremely high agricultural trade deficit.  In some cases, it seems that there may be insufficient labor to transport goods, especially over long distances, although, this is not affecting the food supply at the moment.

Approximately 20 countries in the hemisphere are net importers of food. Each year, the Caribbean region alone draws a cheque for 6 billion dollars to feed 44.5 million people. The situation calls for food security strategies and greater efforts to increase self-sufficiency.

We must again reassess the role of family farmers, who, ironically, although pivotal in ensuring food self-sufficiency, are the adjustment variable in times of economic uncertainty. These farmers supply close to 60% of the food demand in the hemisphere. This situation requires us to focus on policies that benefit these producers, emphasizing areas such as associativity, extension services, access to technology and agricultural insurance.

The new generation of pests and diseases affecting men and women, crops and animals—such as Fusarium on bananas, locusts and African Swine Fever —create the need for sophisticated surveillance and agricultural quarantine services, as a means of reinforcing the importance of health intelligence and prospective monitoring.

We will have to strengthen national and regional innovation and development systems before the developed countries leave us behind completely. Our countries must increase the production of major crops, while boosting their resistance to drought, pests and diseases; and we must be increasingly rigorous about controlling the indiscriminate use of certain agrochemicals.

The well-being and food security of our people are at stake, which means maintaining the world order, as we know it. This situation makes the delivery of effective and first-class technical cooperation an imperative.

END

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

IICA Delegation in Trinidad and Tobago
# 16 Factory Road, Building #3

Brechin Castle

Couva
Trinidad and Tobago

Tel: 1(868) 6454555, 645-5020, 645-8886

 

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Agriculture Ministry PS aims to encourage more public-sector involvement in beach clean-up exercises!

March 01, 2020:- Despite having more than 1000 registrants for the Nature Seekers’ Beach Clean-up event this year, public sector involvement was minimal, with the majority of participants coming from environmental groups, nature enthusiasts and corporate bodies. Such was a statistic Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ms. Susan Shurland vowed would soon change as she aimed to facilitate greater staff exposure to activities such as these and have similar-type initiatives promoted throughout the public service.

These sentiments were conveyed on Sunday 1st March, 2020, as the Permanent Secretary (Ag.), led a small Ministry team along the shores of Matura Beach, collecting recyclables (plastics, styrofoam and glass) and general waste items. Armed with a pair of gloves and plastic garbage bags, Ms. Shurland said she was happy to see a reduced number of bags collected as compared to the bag counts observed in prior years. This, according to her was a feat attributed to the tremendous strides made by Nature Seekers in strengthening the public’s awareness of the need to conserve our natural environment, including wildlife as well as vulnerable and endangered species.

She added too that while she was personally “heartened” by the tremendous support which the event has garnered over the years, there was need for greater collaboration amongst staff of the various Government Ministries. “Our Ministry can and will do more to encourage increased staff participation in these type of exercises during the turtle nesting season by utilising efficiently, our available resources, so as to monitor these beaches and ensure that our leatherback turtles are not impeded by any debris which visitors and beachgoers may have left behind. In fact, we have seen in recent times, the tremendous benefits which can be derived from public sector collaborations and partnerships and I am hopeful that we can soon engage at the inter-ministerial level, discussions pursuant to environmental awareness, protection and conservation initiatives,” Ms. Shurland said.

This year marked Nature Seekers’ 30th year hosting this annual beach clean-up which coincides with the March 1st – August 31st turtle nesting season and culminates with the highly anticipated, Sand Turtle Competition; the challenge trophy for which was sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. The competition, which witnessed more than twenty (20) participating groups this year, involved the sculpting a leatherback turtle in under thirty (30) minutes, utilising nothing more than sand and other natural elements found at the beach.

Persons interested in viewing nesting leatherback turtles at Matura and Grand Riviere during the aforementioned season are required to seek a Permit to Enter a Prohibited Area (for the purpose of turtle-viewing), via the Ministry’s Forestry Division at 225-3868. Tours can be arranged by contacting Nature Seekers at 668-7337 for Matura tours or the Grand Riviere Tour Guide Association at 670-4257.

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Agriculture Ministry’s risk management capacity strengthened as the ODPM hands-over some $75,000 worth in disaster relief items

March 01, 2020:- In recognition of the critical role which the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF) performs in disaster response and recovery, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) presented the Ministry with emergency equipment valued at approximately $75,000.00. Items included axes, fire blankets, rescue harness ropes, fuel containers and fuel/gas cans.

The event which took place on Friday 28th February, 2020, at the alternate National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in Mausica, formed part of the ODPM “push” supply chain distribution system, which is intended to improve the overall efficiency of disaster management, by ensuring that critical emergency items for the public are pre-positioned with responders.

In delivering the feature address, Minister of National Security, the Honourable Stuart Young said the decentralisation of disaster stores was “long overdue” and that it was “common sense” to have a “spread” of these resources with the help of multi-sector agencies.

Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ms. Susan Shurland lauded the occasion and said: “Our staff at the Ministry already serve as first responders through our Engineering and Horticultural Services Divisions and I am happy to see the formalisation of this inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration towards the fulfilment of our collective responsibility to human safety and well-being.”

Ms. Shurland added, “The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to do its part in servicing and responding to the needs of its key stakeholders – namely farmers – but now, because our alliance with the ODPM has endowed us with more equipment and supplies, we are able to operate more efficiently when treating with disasters.”

Also speaking at the event were Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government and the Chief Executive Officer of the ODPM, Major General (Ret’d) Rodney Smart.

A total of nine (9) organisations; four (4) Government Ministries and five (5) agencies were selected to be custodians of pre-positioned disaster relief items. These included the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF); the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services; the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Defence Force; the T&T Police Service; the T&T Fire Service; the Tobago Emergency Management Agency and the T&T Red Cross Society.

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MALF partners with the FAO on Disaster Risk Management Workshop

March 04, 2020:- “Simply put, the purpose of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness is to reduce the number of hazards that turn into disasters.” So said the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Consultant, Dr. Roberto Sandoval, during his presentation at the opening day of a three (3) day Training Workshop on Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Systems, Approaches and Tools for Agriculture (Crops, Livestock, Fisheries / Aquaculture and Forestry).

The FAO Consultant added that globally, the Agriculture Sector suffers an estimated 23% damage and loss due to disasters annually. In the Caribbean region he said that production loss to crops is estimated at 9% while all other regions are at an average of 4%.

The objectives of the workshop are to:

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Systems, Approaches and Tools for Agriculture (Crops, Livestock, Fisheries / Aquaculture and Forestry;
• Identify / Review the Key Elements and Framing of the Emergency Response Strategy and Action Plan; and
• Identify specific capacity building themes/ training topics on Agriculture Disaster Risk Management (ADRM), including disaster preparedness and response.

On the last day of the workshop there will be a review of the Proposed MALF Agriculture Disaster Risk Management (ADRM) Plan.

The workshop currently being held at the Corporate Headquarters of the Ministry, Land and Fisheries (MALF) is hosted by MALF in collaboration with the FAO. Also speaking at the opening of the session were the Director, Agricultural Planning Division (MALF), Ms. Neela Maharaj and MALF’s DRM Chair and Senior Project Analyst, Ms. Joan Lewis.

Participants comprised staff of MALF, FAO as well representatives from the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

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Press Release

The Public is hereby notified of the closure of the 2019-2020 Hunting Season effective March 1^st, 2020 and the following applies:

1. Hunting activity of game animals must be ceased on all lands.
2. Persons have until March 31^st, 2020 to dispose of Game Animal carcasses (or any part thereof) from their property and or their possession.
3. All hunting and or possession of Iguana (Iguana iguana) is prohibited during the months of January and February, in addition to the month of March. Fine for which is Ten Thousand Dollars (TT$10,000.00)
4. Holders of Hunting Permits purchased for the 2019-2020 Hunting Season must submit the Mandatory Data Return Forms on or before May 31^st, 2020. (Failure to comply may result, on summary conviction of Five Thousand Dollars (TT$5000.00) per data form).

• Mandatory Data Forms may be submitted to any of the following stations

1. District Revenue Office, Siparia
2. District Revenue Office, Tunapuna
3. Forestry Office, Rio Claro
4. District Revenue Office, Chaguanas
5. Forestry Division, Long Circular Road, St. James
6. Forestry Division, Balisier Avenue, Pleasantville, San Fernando
7. Forestry Division, Sangre Grande
8. District Revenue Office, Sangster Hill, Scarborough, Tobago
9. Inland Revenue Office, Roxborough, Tobago

PRESS RELEASE 2019 – 2020- HUNTING SEASON CLOSURE