Agriculture comes last...again

THE EDITOR: As has happened in past budgets, the agriculture sector, and by extension, this nation's current and future food security, placed last or very near to last in terms of budgetary allocations. It shows, for all to see, how lowly government places emphasis or priority on this sector.

Folks at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries no doubt must be shaking their heads in amazement at the paltry sums allocated to this most important ministry.

The pattern of insufficient allocation, as was the the case in the past, continued in the 2023–2024 budget. This ministry was allocated $1.44 billion. This amount is expected to transform this ministry, strengthen our food security and reduce the nation's food import bill.

If we are serious about food security and reducing the food import bill, this ministry and the agriculture and food production sector must be get greater government support. Even Tobago got a bigger allocation than agriculture!

When we continue to import basic food items, including food crops that can be grown locally, we are setting ourselves up for future hardship, future food insecurity and additional pressure on the wallets and debit cards of our citizens.

Economic diversification, especially in the face of ever dwindling energy resources, have been bandied about for years. Yet the agriculture sector annually gets pennies, when this ministry ought to be one of the drivers of economic diversification.

It's not brain science. If we truly want to reduce our food import bill, if we really are interested in diversifying the economy and if we are committed to the nation's food security, the Government must move agriculture up the ladder in terms of budgetary importance.

Government must pump more money into this ministry and also get more involved. Our farmers, food scientists, livestock sector and our cocoa industry need even more support.

If we are not careful, our agriculture industry could eventually whither up. Climate change is upon us and this unbearable recent trend of heatwaves not only affects human beings but also the natural environment, and our sensitive food crops. Is anything being done to assist the farming sector to mitigate against climate change and heatwaves?

Is anything being done to incentivise our youth to look to agriculture as a viable means of earning a living? Or do we think today's farmers will live forever? What about praedial larceny? Is anything being done to protect the crops and properties of those citizens who have decided to let their bucket down in the agriculture sector?

It is past time that we as a nation, including our politicians, really get serious and start treating agriculture with the importance it deserves.

ARNOLD GOPEESINGH

San Juan