State Land Services

SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE STATE LANDS UNITS OF THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION NORTH AND SOUTH

State Lands Units are located in Agricultural County offices to facilitate and service farmers producing within a specific County. All State Lands Units hold Public Days every Wednesday from 8:00 am to 4:15 pm to address complaints/ requests from farmers and members of the public.

The Role of the Regional State Lands Units:-

To manage approximately 17,656 agricultural state land parcels in Trinidad. Each parcel has a corresponding County file with a specific Unique Parcel Reference Number kept at the relevant County office.

The Objective of the Regional State Lands Units:-

The decentralized Regional State Lands Units ensure that the selection, distribution and management of agricultural state lands are carried out in an efficient and cost effective manner to ensure their productive utilization, consistent with proper environmental and natural resource conservation practices for sustainable development.

Services provided by the Regional State Lands Units:-

– Regularization (accept applications in preparation for Draft Cabinet Note) *

– Renewal of Standard Agricultural Leases. *

– Transfer of Standard Agricultural Leases. *

– Identify Breaches on Agricultural State Land plots and submit requisitions for Advisory and Quit Notices to the Commissioner of State Lands for action to be taken.

– Provide Tenancy information for Farmers Registration Programme.

– Provide Tenancy information to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).

– Process applications for cutting of trees on Agricultural State Lands.

– Process applications for construction of ponds on Agricultural State Lands.

– Survey and subdivide Agricultural State Land Blocks for distribution to farmers under the Public Service Investment Programme (PSIP).

– Make request for outline approval from the Town and Country Planning Division where subdivision is necessary.

– Provide Occupancy Reports to the GIS Unit of the Land Management Division.

– Maintain historical data in the County files as well as update information on the files.

– Manage the File Tracking, Occupancy and Requisition for Notice Databases.

* Applications are submitted to the Land Management Division for further processing

Forms used by the Regional State Land Units in the processing of Applications:-

– Progress Report

– Form A

– Programme of Development

– Project Proposal

Regional State Land Databases used in the Management of Agricultural State Lands:-

– File Tracking

– Occupancy Surveys

– Requisitions for Advisory Notices/ Quit Notices

How to access this service

Services are accessible through the Regional/ County Agricultural Offices:

See State Land Units Locations

. How do I apply for a plot of State Land?

There are two (2) ways that Members of the Public can apply for Agricultural State Land:

(i) The Commissioner of State Lands (COSL) will advertise available agricultural state lands in the daily newspaper and/or Ministry’s website to the public. Details of the location of the parcel, parcel size and expected Farming Enterprise as well as guidelines for the application process will be provided by the Commissioner of State Lands.

(ii) Agricultural Squatters who meet the Regularization requirements can apply for the parcel in occupation through the Regularization Policy by Cabinet Minute 436 of 1999.

Why is the Ministry not repossessing State Lands that are not being utilized and distributed to farmers who are squatting or renting?

The RAN State Lands Unit carry out investigations on agricultural state lands and once the plot is abandoned, the Unit would make the relevant recommendation for the Commissioner of State Lands to take the necessary steps for Repossession and Redistribution of the parcel. Therefore, the onus is on the Commissioner of State Lands to repossess and redistribute and so will have to further address this question.