Tobago agro processors lament lack of consultation

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

President of the Tobago Agro Processors Association Darilyn Smart has concurred with the assessment by the Tobago Agricultural Society that the Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries' stimulus package to heighten food production on the island is “lacking and inadequate.”

Food Production Secretary Hayden Spencer said that his division intends to support and create the enabling environment for successful agro processing enterprises in Tobago to mitigate the negative impact of the covid19 pandemic.

“We are going to increase that agriculture incentive programme for agro processing from 45 per cent to 70 per cent,” he said.

According to a release from the division, it will further incentivise this national agricultural incentive to 70 per cent of the cost of establishing approved facilities for agro-processing of approved commodities (root tubers, pigeon peas, corn, banana and plantain, mango, local meats, local dairy milk) to a maximum of $80,000.

Speaking with Newsday recently, Smart said the stimulus was insufficient. She noted that prior to the release from the division, there was no consultation with the agro processors.

“The costs associated with establishing a new and approved facility to add value to the suggested approved crops, are extremely high if the aim is to achieve economies of scale. The agro processing sector is still on the ‘high risk’ list with banking institutions and given covid19 and its uncertainties, new and approved facility establishment is not advised at this time,” she said.

She said the agro processors are also concerned about the eligibility criteria of the incentive.

“In recent times, members were told that they could not even access the national agricultural incentive programme if the processor did not have two acres of their main crop under cultivation. Processors are mainly end-users who support farmers and are rarely farmers themselves,” she said.

The president is therefore suggesting that the incentive be utilised as an equipment incentive.

“This will allow existing processors to expand their operations to facilitate the approved crops. These businesses will better be able to access funding under the enterprise assistance programmes or any preferred funding mechanism, apply for the incentive and facilitate the proposed agricultural plans.

“This will provide quicker wins and sustainability moving forward towards greater levels of food security on the island of Tobago.”

Contacted for a response, Spencer acknowledged the agro processors were not consulted.

He said, “Trying to do consultation at this particular time to go over data that you already have…It was the division’s responsibility to submit to the covid19 committee a response. I have been wearing two hats: as secretary of the division and also a member of the committee. So, when I sat with my team in the division, we already have the data from the farming committee, we already have a strategic plan which was consulted.

"The end of the strategic plan is 2023, we recently developed an agriculture revitalisation plan in consultation with the same farmers association, the same Tobago Agriculture Society, so what the THA is doing now to boost food production on the island, I do not think that needs consultation.”