Forde: River lime is a money-spinner

The humble Trini river lime is an experience that can be marketed to foreign tourists to earn revenues, Tunapuna MP and Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde said in his contribution to the budget debate in the Lower House on Tuesday night.

He said this can occur at Caura River in his constituency.

“In fiscal 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture finished paying consultants on the long heralded Caura Recreational Park Development Plan, with a view to proceeding to the next phase of the project,” he said.

“It is the seed for the development of a myriad of eco-tourism development apart from sustainable community environmental development, particularly of a major national water shed and water source, which includes the famous Poolside 1 and Poolside 2 in Caura.”

He tied in the Caura project to a recent round of consultations on the development of a community tourism policy.

“Madame Speaker, the cry in town is the need for foreign exchange.

Madame Speaker, the development of the Caura Recreational Park Development Plan as the nexus for eco-tourism in the Northern Range would serve to reduce the leakage by vacationing nationals, while simultaneously providing international standard facility and security for visitors, national and internationals to engage in the river lime experience, trail hiking, bird watching among other social activities in the scenic and tranquil Caura Valley.”

Forde again mentioned the Caura Valley, to say local farmers can access old and new incentives to agriculture and so create a paradigm shift that is needed to stem the leakage of foreign exchange spent on foreign goods and food.

“The Government has also allocated $20 million in fiscal 2018 for the establishment of an agricultural financial support programme, with grants to new and existing farmers of up to $100,000.”

This funding will complement existing incentives, including tax breaks on approved agricultural holdings; tax breaks of vehicles, equipment, raw material and other inputs; subsidized loans; purpose-built markets; planting materials; access roads and State land leases.

“The Caura Valley once contributed vastly to the agricultural food basket of Trinidad and Tobago. The Caura Valley farmers can now access these great opportunities to revive their farming on larger scales.”