In his first official field trip as Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein along with some members of the Ministry’s Executive Team which comprised of: Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries; Senator the Honourable Nigel De Freitas, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries with responsibility for Lands and; Ms. Susan Shurland, Permanent Secretary (Ag), visited the Barrackpore community earlier today (March 24th), to get a first- hand view of the ongoing efforts by the Ministry in its attempt to manage the outbreak of rabies in the area.

Minister Hosein said that the Agriculture Ministry has been very proactive in its response to the issue since the first case was identified on February, 16th 2022, and he also empathised with those affected farmers who would have lost animals, as a result of the rabies outbreak. He further reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to the exercise and said, it continues to work closely with all stakeholders to effectively manage the situation.

Minister Hosein’s comments came while he was witnessing a vaccination procedure administered by the Anti-Rabies Unit (ARU) at the farm of Mr. Wayne Rambajan at Rochard Douglas Road in Barrackpore. Also in attendance at today’s event were: the Acting Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Mrs. Gloria Brathwaite-Didier; Dr. Victoria Lashley, Chief Veterinary Officer; Acting Director of Regional Administration South (RAS), Mr. Hansley Durbal; Veterinary Officer for the area, Dr. Jevan Sieusankar and; Mr. Robert Griffith, Anti-Rabies Assistant II.

To date, the Ministry has recorded twenty-seven (27) livestock deaths in the community. These include twenty-five (25) cattle and two (2) sheep.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries is currently conducting surveillance exercises in the area to identify sick animals (i.e. animals with signs of paralysis, in-coordination and / or excessive salivation) and those that are being attacked by vampire bats within the surrounding areas. Farmers are therefore strongly encouraged to report any incidence of sick animals to the nearest Animal Health Office or contact the Anti-Rabies Unit (ARU).

History of Rabies in Trinidad

Bat-transmitted rabies is endemic in Trinidad. However, since preventative measures are in place for the control of the bat population and protection of the animal population (i.e. rabies vaccination of livestock), cases in livestock have generally been few and sporadic since the 1930s. Only about 5 outbreaks have occurred over the last 50 years.

On his second official day at the office, Senator the Honourable Nigel De Freitas, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (with responsibility for Lands), took the opportunity to meet with staff as he toured the facilities of the Ministry’s corporate headquarters in Chaguanas earlier today.

In reacquainting himself with the Ministry’s senior management – many of whom he would have had the opportunity to meet during a handover and prayer invocation ceremony which took place yesterday (22/03/2022) – Minister De Freitas took the opportunity to engage with staff from varying levels as he familiarised himself with the Head Office’s various Departments / Units as well as the localities of same.

Members of staff were extremely heartened by the Minister’s gratuitous gesture in embarking on a series of personalised, one-on-one introductions which was regarded by many to be both down-to-earth and sincere.

Indeed, the experience was as equally humbling for Minister De Freitas who received a very warm reception from all those he came into contact, with many congratulating him on his appointment and wishing him a very productive and rewarding tenure in the Ministry.

In delivering remarks at the media launch of the Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme (YAHP) on Tuesday 1^st March, 2022, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat said, that he has prepared a Note to Cabinet on “the very important issue” of making agriculture a tax-free enterprise.

The Minister commended the Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, whom he said was the main driver behind the Government’s efforts toward this end. Further, he indicated that the process was three (3) dimensional in that it involved making agriculture free from tax on profits, free from corporation tax (in the case of registered businesses), as well as free from existing duties and value added taxes. Minister Rambharat further stated that a consultant was previously engaged on the exercise and a report has since been submitted. The details of this ‘tax-free’ initiative are to be addressed in due course.

With respect to YAHP, Minister Rambharat emphasised that the initiative was by no means “a vanity project” based primarily on the novelty of acquiring land. Successful beneficiaries, he explained, will need to be able to farm and produce an income from it as well as construct a house and maintain it. The The timing of the programme was timely according to the Minister in that it addresses the need to make housing available to younger families across the country who may have otherwise been discouraged by the prospects available to them under the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) as well as the current cost of housing within the private sector.

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service and took place at the Government Campus Plaza in Port of Spain. The Honourable Foster Cummings, Minister of Youth Development and National Service, gave the feature address.

 

About Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme (YAHP)

The initiative is aimed at positioning agriculture as a viable career option for our nation’s youth whilst safeguarding the country’s food and nutrition security. It is a two (2) year programme specifically targeting T&T nationals between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Participants of this programme will benefit from one (1) year of theoretical training and one (1) year of practical agricultural training. At the conclusion of the first year, successful trainees will be provided with access to land and a starter home, as well as the necessary technical and financial support to enable them to become successful 21^st century agribusiness entrepreneurs.

Persons interested in registering for the YAHP, can click on the following link for further details – https://apps.mydns.gov.tt/yahp/public/

Registration for the YAHP ends on March 14, 2022.

“Once God’s presence is here, everything else will fall into place.” Such was the sentiment expressed by the incoming Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Kazim Hosein, as he addressed the executive and senior management staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF), at a Ministerial Handover and Prayer Invocation Ceremony which took place earlier today (Tuesday 22nd March, 2022) at MALF’s Head Office in Chaguanas.

The ceremony was held to mark Minister Hosein’s transition into the MALF, following his previous appointment as the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government (RDLG). Also present at the event were: the recently appointed, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries with responsibility for Lands, Senator the Honourable Nigel De Freitas; the Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh and; the former Agriculture Minister, Mr. Clarence Rambharat.

In thanking God for the opportunity to serve in his new position, Minister Hosein said he remained resolute in giving it his very best and will be approaching each task with a renewed sense of purpose. He further acknowledged that his role was no more significant than any of the Ministry’s staff with whom he signaled a commitment to work closely with for the benefit of all stakeholders. The Minister added: “I got along and worked with everyone at RDLG and I intend to do the same at MALF. I grew up with love and I extend that wherever I may go.”

Minister Hosein also took the opportunity to remind both of his senatorial colleagues that as policy makers and politicians, it was imperative that they respect the role of the Ministry’s “distinguished career public servants”, whose support was critical in advancing the agriculture sector’s objectives in the interests of all. He praised the contributions of his predecessor, Mr. Rambharat, whom he identified as a close friend and someone whose knowledge and guidance he will be calling upon, going forward.

Both Ministers Singh and De Freitas were in high praise of the former Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries as well as the incumbent, each sharing an account of their personal and professional relationships with them during their brief remarks.

Also invited to address the ceremony was former Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, who took the opportunity to reflect on the many opportunities he was privileged to have throughout his career and thanked the Ministry’s personnel for all the support given to him during his tenure. He further stated that he was not “fired” from the Cabinet but indicted that his resignation was a well-considered one, which took into account an examination of his professional and personal life, and the ways in which he may otherwise be of optimal service to the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the future.

Officiating the ceremony’s invocation session were: Moulana Atif Sulaimani, Imam of the San Fernando Jama Masjid; Pundit Mukram Sirjoo, President of the Inter-Religious Organization of Trinidad and Tobago; The Rt. Rev. Joy Abdul-Mohan, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago and; Rev. Mother Kathleen Ishmael, representative from the West Indian United Spiritual Baptist Sacred Order.

Recipients of Caroni (1975) Limited VSEP Parcels

See List of Recipients of Caroni (1975) Limited VSEP Parcels

Earlier today (Tuesday 8th March, 2022) the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (MALF) in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) officially launched the Enterprise Community Initiative at the MALF Head Office in Chaguanas.

The objective of the programme is to transfer livelihood skills and provide the necessary learning tools to the vulnerable groups in the Enterprise Community in Chaguanas. This intervention is aimed at assisting those individuals to become self-sufficient in the area of agri-business whilst also improving their overall social well-being.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, said the programme is meant to cover four (4) core areas, specifically, food and nutrition, the practical aspects of growing food, the practical aspects of value added enterprise and entrepreneurship, whereby participants will now be able to build a successful small business and earn an income stream from their products.

According to Minister Rambharat, the launch of the project was delayed due to the COVID-19 restrictions, as the training was not something that could have been wholly conducted in a virtual environment, but said he was very optimistic about the impact the programme will have on the lives of the participants. Furthermore, the Minister stated that a cadre of specialist volunteers will also be assisting in the programme.

Also delivering remarks at the launch was the Regional Representative for IICA, Ms. Diana Francis who said that they are very pleased to be an integral part of the programme. She added, “this community based initiative is important to Trinidad and Tobago because development is built on the communities go up and therefore where there are strong communities, it augers well for the country and the wider Caribbean region. IICA therefore congratulates all participants involved in the programme and wish them the very best”.

Training for participants is expected to be approximately three (3) months. Other communities throughout the country are also expected to benefit from a similar initiative and an announcement of these programmes will be made in due course.

Also in attendance at today’s event were the Permanent Secretary (Ag), Ms. Susan Shurland, as well as representatives from the MALF and IICA.

Twenty-two (22) individuals comprising farmers and agro-processors from South Trinidad, became the beneficiaries of State land for agricultural purposes, following the distribution of lease letters at the Rio Claro Hindu Primary School on Sunday 6th March, 2022.

The lease letters were distributed by the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat, convey Cabinet’s approval to grant standard agricultural leases for an initial period of thirty (30) years.

In his address to the recipients, Minister Rambharat noted that while there were several operatives involved in the final execution of a lease, one of the key stages in the process was the acquisition of Cabinet’s approval which he said was particularly significant. According to him, this was so because many land matters endured very lengthy periods of delay given their errors and other complexities prior to advancing to the final stage. Furthermore, the Minister added, these lease letters now formalise the status of one’s lease application whilst also serving as a guarantee for recipients to access both financial institutions and State entities in order to conduct business transactions on their respective agricultural parcels.

Among some of the other undertakings in the process outlined by the Honourable Minister were: the issuance of a letter of offer from the Office of the Commissioner of State Lands (COSL) and acceptance of said letter; the nomination of a land surveyor and the execution of the survey; the submission of the survey plan to the COSL and; the instruction of the Chief State Solicitor by the COSL, for the finalisation of the lease.

Minister Rambharat reiterated the need for persons to be vigilant in following-up with their applications and also reminded them of the available option they have of contacting his Office, should they receive no communication from the COSL within forty-five (45) days from the date of receipt of their lease letters.