Farmer to raise ‘affordable’ ducks

Duck dishes are popular in Trinidad and Tobago but duck meat can be expensive. Hence the goal of Central Farms owner Israel Dasent to expand the business so they can “provide a superior quality duck at an affordable price”.

Dasent said so while speaking with Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat during the minister’s recent tour of the farm on 19 acres of land in Couva.

Dasent also shared his plans, including installation of a state of the art processing plant and hatchery, breeder flocks, use of an artificial insemination technique and forage production. All of this is aimed at making the company “more competitive (while creating) increased employment and empowerment of our employees and (key stakeholders) in the agriculture sector.”

Dasent told Rambharat that to the best of his knowledge, Central Farms is the largest producer of ducks in the Caribbean.

Commenting on his hopes for the sector, Dasent said he eagerly looks forward to the time when “it is easier for small farmers to get involved in agriculture, (particularly) duck farming.”

Rambharat, in response, highlighted the three core areas of focus on agriculture in the 2018 budget, namely “agro-processing, import substitution and export.”