Tadco: Average farmer to benefit from Namdevco partnership

The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Tobago Agribusiness Development Company (Tadco) and National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (Namdevco) is being seen as a move to help the average farmer, says Tadco’s chairman Ricardo Alfred.

Speaking with Newsday on Monday, Alfred who attended the signing ceremony last Wednesday at Namdevco's Piarco Packinghouse, Caroni North Bank Road in Trinidad said the MoU seeks to strengthen their business relationship as it will benefit all stakeholders along the chain from farm to table.

He said through the MOU, both entities are better able to merge and bridge the gap between the Ministry of Agriculture and the THA Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development.

“Namdevco is run by the ministry in Trinidad, whilst Tadco is being run by the division. These types of partnerships really is definitely going to aid the average farmer, so there are some stuff that would be rolling out very soon as in training and stuff like that.”

He said very soon Tadco will be building out its website to shows products available and the farmers providing them, similar to the website run by Namdevco.

He concurred with Secretary of Food Security Nathisha Charles-Pantin who said she was excited at the prospects.

“It is very prudent of us to partner in terms of sharing expertise as it relates to the school feeding programme, because they have a school feeding programme that is designed through FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization) in terms of providing the reliable and local products on the market as it relates to agricultural products.”

He added: We would definitely have some good arrangements as it relates to the training that Namdevco offers to their farmers. Tadco would now be able to offer the same training to their farmers where we would actually be able to build some capacity there.”

He said the transfer of knowledge will augur well for both parties.

“We are better able to manage a fishing vessel and a fishing facility, of which Namdevco is now mandated to run all of the fishing facilities in Trinidad. So to provide some support there (to Namdevco) whilst they provide some support to the agricultural sector.”