What Trinidad and Tobago can learn from India's agri boom

AS one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India is well-poised in the global market making strides in industries including agriculture.

Born out of a need to address national food shortages and the threat of famine in the 1960s, a “Green Revolution” which saw India’s national food production going from 25 metric tonnes in 1950 to 100 metric tonnes by 1980, emerged.

This was achieved not only by the use of advanced agricultural practices such as the use of genetically-modified seeds which could yield up to three more times that of regular seeds but also by the expansion of irrigation facilities and enhanced support mechanisms to give incentives for farmers to grow crops.

In 1974, India introduced the Command Area Development Programme which not only enhanced on-farm development by facilitating farm land preparation but also developed farming communities more holistically. These communities received better access roads, transportation facilities and marketing opportunities that allowed farmers and farming commutes to thrive.

According to the World Bank, the rise in food production during the Green Revolution allowed the country to achieve self-sufficiency in food-grain production, curb the threat of famine and increase the demand for rural labour which resulted in better wages for rural workers as well as a decline in food prices and an overall reduction in poverty.

Today, India stands as the world’s largest exporter of rice with around 22 million metric tonnes of the crop being exported in 2024, according to global statistics.

This development is exactly what the High Commissioner of India to TT Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit said TT can learn from in enhancing our local agricultural production. As India donated kilos of rice and 12,500 litres of edible oils to TT on May 21, Rajpurohit said the already existing strong bilateral relationship between India and TT could be a catalyst for enhanced local food production.

With our food import bill reaching over $7 billion in 2024 and the effects of climate change continuing to negatively impact the development of the agricultural sector, according to the Finance Ministry’s 2024 economic review, it is clear there is room for improvement.

The ministry’s review noted declines in the production of local commodities like sweet potato, dasheen, tomato, cabbage, cucumber, melongene, ochro, patchoi and corn over that period.

This stands against Caricom’s revision of its initial goal to reduce the region’s import bill by 25 per cent in 2025 being extended to 2030, a reflection of the region’s plight.

But recently-appointed Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Minister Ravi Ratiram said he is seeking to combat this by boosting local food production with a revised approach.

“To truly build resilience we must treat food security and food safety as the cornerstone of national and regional development. As I take on this role, one of my first priorities is to fully assess the challenges facing the industry and to initiate meaningful corrective action to mitigate against these challenges.” he said at the rice donation ceremony.

During his speech, he also appealed to the Indian High Commissioner for enhanced collaborative support through a potential advisory system that would help TT take guidance from India’s progress, especially the continuation of an initiative which saw delegated TT nationals visiting India to explore collaborative opportunities.

CEO of National Flour Mills (NFM) Ian Mitchell was part of such a delegation in September 2024.

Hosted by the High Commissioner of TT to India Dr Roger Gopaul, the visit facilitated national collaboration with key institutions like the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (HAFED).

Mitchell told Business Day his talks with HAFED centred around partnering to rejuvenate TT’s rice industry with a focus on capacity building in the rice milling sector as NFM considered upgrading its rice mill at Carlsen Field which has the capacity to process 21,000 metric tonnes of rice.

“In addition to learning a great deal about the agricultural research being conducted in India and gaining valuable insights into the work being done by these institutions, we were able to gain first-hand experience and exposure to rice milling of various grades of aromatic types of rice,” he said.

Despite local production declines, Mitchell told Business Day that the experience provided an opportunity for NFM to employ various techniques and for farmers to introduce alternative varieties of rice that can provide a boost to our local rice industry.

And delegation visits are not the only means through which TT’s farmers and stakeholders can benefit from India’s agri insight.

Through the Indian Technical and Economic Co-operation (ITEC) programme citizens can apply for courses in rural development and agriculture among others. The fully funded flagship programme which falls under the External Affairs Ministry and the Indian government allows eligible citizens from TT, Grenada, Dominica and Montserrat to take part in various professional training courses in institutes throughout India.

ITEC’s 2024/2025 calendar offers various courses geared towards training farmers in the areas of value and supply chain enhancement, marketing, climate resilience and rural development.

Conducted in Indian institutes dedicated to agricultural studies, like the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management and the National Institute of Plant Health Management, ITEC’s programme seeks to not only enhance students’ professional skills but better prepare them for an ever-changing, globalised world.