Rambharat promises help for small farmers

AGRICULTURE Minister Clarence Rambharat has promised more help for small-scale farmers, saying their value has been shown by the covid19 pandemic by way of producing healthy foodstuffs and supporting TT's economy.

He gave the feature address on Sunday evening at a virtual agriculture summit held by an NGO, Chaguanas.com, with introductory remarks by Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Vishnu Charran.

Speaking on the theme, The business of Agriculture: Understanding Food, Rambharat lamented how modern lifestyles have driven food consumption in TT towards unhealthy ends.

“Our change in lifestyles has driven our change in food habits and preferences and have made our plates heavy on imported processed content.

“We are eating ourselves to death, ignoring the health effects of poor food choices, demotivating our farmers and enriching importers instead of our communities.”

Equally, he questioned modern food production methods.

“Globally, food is now produced and delivered in a complex, corporate driven manner, dominated by subsidies, cheap labour, heavy mechanisation and GMOs which guarantee shape, colour, taste and shelf life.”

But Rambharat rejoiced that a food counter-culture was now afoot in TT, driven by young people. He said this movement was all about whole foods which are community grown/produced, entrepreneurial, healthy, new and colourful.

“They have storylines about ethics, sustainability and minimum environmental impact.”

Rambharat suggested that people should make a conscious choice about their food consumption and the many impacts flowing from these decisions.

“The choice between local and imports is a choice of how long we want to live and the quality of life we choose, how wealthy we want our communities to be, how much of our forex we want to flow out, and how individual lifestyle changes and food choices can impact the demand for what we grow and produce.”

The local agriculture sector will depend on the choices made in households, he emphasised.

Rambharat said he aspired to improve his ministry’s service, especially to farmers.

“I am not satisfied with the level and quality of service we provide as a ministry. Too many critical public-service jobs are vacant for too long. Too many of our processes are paper-driven, bureaucratic and unhelpful to our stakeholders.

"Digital transformation is vital. Our work processes are too bureaucratic.”

He also viewed the service commissions as ancient.

On land tenure, he said the administration of state land has been a disaster for decades.

“Farmers have waited 30 and 40 years for leases and renewals.

“The Caroni VSEP distribution of lands for agriculture has led to usage for agriculture of less than 15 percent. Reforming state land administration is one of the most important thing we have been doing.”

Rambharat aimed to make good farmers become even better.

“We have good farming families feeding this country for decades. Land tenure will make them stronger. Good farmers should be rewarded with more support.”

He had great hopes of his ministry’s new Homestead Programme.

“It will create two vital opportunities – an opportunity to build a home and an opportunity to establish an income stream from food production, including value-added.”

Rambharat said agriculture in TT offers huge opportunities to participants.

“Covid19 has shown that food represents an excellent space for entrepreneurs. There are opportunities along the value chain from input supplies to value-added products delivered to your kitchen.”

He listed some of the help available to entrepreneurs in agriculture. These included subsidised land, financing via the Agricultural Development Bank, a $100,000 agricultural incentive, Ministry of Trade and Industry grants, Ministry of Agriculture subsidies and incentives, plus various support with technical aspects, research, marketing and export.