Ratiram: Too little money for cocoa, access, relief

COUVA NORTH MP Ravi Ratiram accused the Government of spending too little on individual help to farmers and on broad initiatives in agriculture such as the cocoa industry, agriculture access roads and flood relief/prevention. He spoke on October 16 during the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives.

On help to individual farmers, Ratiram said $4 million was allocated for flood relief last year but only $1 million was spent (after $8 million spent in 2023.)

Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein said 34 farmers had sought flood relief.

Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh said $8 million was paid in 2023 due to the "massive flooding" that year. He said the $1 million paid last year was "based on the claims by farmers." Ratiram requested a list of claimants, successful and unsuccessful, for flood relief last year.

Oropouche West MP Davendranath Tancoo asked about a drop in the agricultural incentive programme last year from $14 million (an initial estimate) and $12 million (revised).

Hosein said in fact the ministry paid out $13.099 million last year to farmers, more than the $12 million stated in the budget document.

This was the first of several instances of the minister giving Ratiram information at variance with the budget estimates of recurrent and development expenditure and for the ministry's statutory bodies. Tancoo asked about $12 million similarly allocated for 2025, to which Singh spoke on an ongoing influx of claims by farmers.

Ratiram asked about $300,000 allocated for last year and likewise for 2025 for an incentive programme which he surmised referred to a fuel subsidy for fishermen.

Hosein said the sum was paid to 69 fisherfolk, with the allocation now under review. Ratiram complained the subsidy worked out to just ten cents per litre, was outdated and compared poorly to other Caribbean countries, citing figures of $1.35 and $1.66 for elsewhere.
Hosein remarked, "There are other incentives."

St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen noted the $4 million allocation for relief of flood damage (which is also allocated for 2025.) She said remedial work on waterways could reduce flooding.

Saying many farmers live in the south part of her constituency, Ameen said, "I was with them and I have the damage to their crops.

"Some cannot access grants because their leases have not been approved."

Hosein agreed to provide information.

Ratiram said while the minister had spoken of help for "registered farmers," in reality many could not retain that status as they were unable to renew their farmers' badges because state bodies have not been doing land surveys in support of the farmers' leases. "There appears to be a lot of bureaucracy paralysing farmers."

He remarked that these were largely the same farmers registered to supply Namdevco, but not registered for support and relief.

Singh later said it was a well-known practice that a farmer pays the cost to survey and map his land, selecting a surveyor from an approved list, although Ratiram then expressed his consternation.

Ratiram lamented a $1.15 million cut in the recurrent allocation to the Cocoa Development Company, to $3.5 million for this year, down from $4.655 million given last year after a $3 million estimate.

Hosein said the sum was variously for gratuities, board member stipends and projects.

Ratiram thanked him, but said Hosein's information did not address the reduction. He said a Google search of the TT Cocoa Board unearthed many articles saying the body was in trouble and underfunded. Why cut the allocation, he asked.

Hosein replied other grants exist that the board can seek.

Ratiram retorted that he was also seeing cuts to these items.

Ratiram asked about the zero allocation for the remuneration of board members at the Agricultural Society.

Hosein said the ministry was working closely with the society towards completion of its 2015-2023 financial statements. The ministry's stipend to the society was suspended in 2019, he said.

Ratiram queried a $1.497 million drop in allocation for security services at Namdevco, from $6.822 million given last year to $5.325 million estimated for this year. He lamented that many farmers and vendors must reach markets very early in the morning, with some carrying cash and being vulnerable to bandits.

Hosein said the security at the marketplaces was supplemented by the Praedial Larceny Squad, estate constables, municipal police and regular police officers.

Ameen challenged this claim. She said regional corporations don't even have enough municipal police officers to guard their own facilities, far less markets.

Likewise, she said the police service was swamped with murders.

"We have noise complaints – bars, and road blocked – but I cannot get the police to respond.

"I am pleading with you to put your own resources in place."

Ratiram asked about the upgrade of the St Augustine Nurseries. Hosein listed improvements including installing eight CCTV cameras ($43,000), upgraded sales area ($423,000) and citrus seedlings purchase ($14,000).

Later, in an examination of the Infrastructure Development Fund, Ratiram asked about a hike in allocation for the Estate Management Business Development Company (EMBD) from $5 million paid last year to $19 million allocated for this year.

Hosein said this was largely to pay legal costs and Ratiram requested a breakdown.