Singh welcomes continuation of PNM rice initiative for farmers

FORMER minister in the agriculture ministry Avinash Singh has welcomed the distribution of seeds from Guyana by the ministry to rice farmers on May 20.

He said the distribution happened because of the work done by the former PNM government to improve the agriculture sector.

In a WhatsApp comment on May 21, Singh said, "This is the work that was done when prime minister Rowley led a team to Guyana, we signed a MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Guyana and rice was one of the priorities."

The MoU, which was signed in July 2022 in Guyana, identified areas for TT-Guyana collaboration in agriculture.

Apart from rice, collaboration would also be explored in aquaculture, livestock and coconut production.

Singh said phase one of the initiative involved the purchase of 92 tonnes of rice from Guyana and the distribution of this rice to farmers for free.

He shared a video done by the ministry on July 4, 2023 about phase one of the initiative which involved the distribution of approximately 200,000 lbs of high-yielding, disease-resistant rice seeds to farmers in Chaguaramas.

The ministry said the initiative came to fruition after discussions between then prime minister Dr Keith Rowley and Guyana president Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali on TT-Guyana collaborative efforts to improve food security.

Ali holds the agriculture portfolio in Caricom's quasi-cabinet.

The ministry said, "The seeds were purchased by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, generously supplied by the Guyana Rice Development Board and distributed to 30 farmers at the National Seed Bank in Chaguaramas (in July 2023)."

At this event, then agriculture minister Kazim Hosein thanked his Guyanese counterpart Mustapha Zulfikar for his co-operation in the initiative.

“By revitalising and modernising our rice industry, we are strengthening our domestic agricultural sector, reducing our reliance on international markets, and enhancing our ability to feed our nation.”

Hosein said the initiative was a testament previously made by Caricom member states to assist in reducing the regional food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

Against that background, Singh was happy to see farmers receive rice seeds this week.

Singh said the shipment of seeds that was distributed on May 20 at the ministry's office in Chaguanas had been earmarked for distribution before the election.

The event saw the distribution of 100 tonnes of rice seeds to 37 farmers across TT for the this year's planting season.

Singh said, "I also welcome the continuation of this project. It's sound PNM policy."

On May 20, Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram said the ministry was currently assessing what needed to be done to enhance farming infrastructure.

He claimed the infrastructure was neglected by the former PNM administration.

“This is a whole-of-government and whole-of-sector effort.

Ratiram said rice production declined from 2,800 metric tonnes in 2014 (under the UNC-led People's Partnership coalition) to 600 metric tonnes in 2018 (under the PNM).

He said that amount fell to 445 metric tonnes in 2023.