Government has run agriculture into ground

THE EDITOR: I write in response to a misleading letter to the editor by PNM Alderman Irene Medina published in the Trinidad Express of September 23.

A consideration of basic facts will demonstrate that the PNM Government has egregiously mismanaged the agriculture sector, leading to its current state of crisis. Medina’s article follows the PNM's playbook of lie, cry and mamaguay.

I said it before and I will say it again, the PNM has squandered the $800 million from the agricultural stimulus packages, without addressing the issues affecting the sector, and leaving our farmers and fisherfolk to struggle.

Medina’s claims of a thriving agriculture revolution are nothing more than a facade to distract from the reality. The sector is in tatters, and the Government has failed the people in the sector.

Crucial agricultural projects have been deceitfully underfunded, despite budget promises and official allocations.

In 2016, for example, an allocation of $156 million ended up in reality with only $40 million quietly being spent by the ministry. The Government spread the propaganda about the allocated (but not spent) $156 million, however.

The same story occurred year after year.

In 2018, $45,800,000 was allocated but only $21,406,458 – less than half – was actually spent.

In 2019, $70,862,000 was allocated but only $8,409,565 – less than 12 per cent – was spent.

In 2020, $64,181,000was allocated but only $22,464,386 was spent – about one-third.

In 2021, $49,154,000 was allocated but only $14,080,453 – less than 30 per cent – was spent.

In 2022, $68,144,000 was allocated but only $24,694,177 was spent – about 36 per cent.

At the same time, the nation’s food import bill soared to $7.3 billion in 2022, while the agriculture sector’s contribution to GDP declined by $200 million, from $1.42 billion in 2015 to $1.22 billion in 2023.

If the Government’s initiatives are successful, why is it that our food import bill continues to increase, and why are our farmers being left without the necessary support?

I wish to remind Alderman Medina that discussing the agriculture sector without considering the fishing sector is incomplete. Medina failed to address the dire state of the fishing industry, particularly the unfulfilled promises regarding the fuel rebate for fisherfolk.

Despite commitments to revise the programme, fisherfolk are still receiving a meagre rebate of just 12 cents per litre. In contrast, our regional partners, like St Lucia, recognise the importance of this sector. This year, St Lucia’s fisherfolk received an increase in the per-gallon rebate from EC$1.50 ($3.10) to EC$2.50 ($6.28) giving a rebate of EC$1.65 per litre.

Furthermore, the Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme (YAHP) is sadly a political stunt, rather than a genuine effort at agricultural development.

People will not be fooled by these empty initiatives. Imagine farmers who were granted Caroni land do not enjoy the same rights to their land as those in this programme. Is this a slight to the Minister of Agriculture? The implications of such disparities raise serious questions about the Government’s commitment to genuine agricultural reform.

We also reject Medina’s use of the PNM playbook to cry race. This is a divisive distraction which must have no place in the politics of TT.

I also wish to remind Medina of the decline of the cocoa and coconut industries, which the Government has touted as key sectors for revitalisation.

Production in the cocoa industry has plummeted from 62.5 metric tonnes in 2020 to just 12 metric tonnes in 2023. What has this Government done to reverse this trend? Absolutely nothing of any substance.

Unlike the PNM's propagandist narrative, the UNC under the guidance of Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been actively engaging with farmers on the ground, who are voicing urgent concerns over land tenure security, pests and diseases, rising fertiliser costs, deteriorating agricultural infrastructure, flooding in the rainy season, water supply issues in the dry season, and rampant praedial larceny.

These issues are crucial for the sustainability and productivity of our agriculture sector, which is vital for national food security and economic stability.

It’s time for the PNM Government to stop selling false hope – to stop lying, crying and mamaguying – and start addressing the real issues that plague our farmers and fisherfolk.

RAVI RATIRAM

MP, Couva North