35 training courses in agriculture in 2026 — Ratiram: 20,000 to participate

AGRICULTURE and Fisheries Minister Ravi Ratiram has revealed plans for his ministry to rollout about 35 training courses in 2026, all geared at improving the skillset of people within the agriculture and fisheries sector.

Speaking after the launch of the ministry’s two-day livestock artificial insemination training programme on January 15, Ratiram said there will be increased training in the agriculture sector this year.

He said there will be the launch of a new training initiative within the ministry which will see all different courses being offered coming under one umbrella programme.

“What we see is that we have the regional administrative north, the regional administrative south...the extension trainiung information services division within the ministry...all doing small courses here, there and everywhere based on requests.

“So what we have done is to bring all of these programmes, in addition to new technology in the agriculture sector, under one umbrella, which is a new training initiative which we are working towards,” he said in an interview with State media outlet TTT.

Ratiram said he expects at least 20,000 to participate in the training programmes which will be offered in all eight counties across the country.

“We have about 35 different training courses. So whether you are dealing with crop cultivation from basic land preparation, new technologies in agriculture, hydroponics, greenhouse farming, climate resilience farming, even in areas of aquaculture, livestock development...we have a series of training programmes that we are going to be offering.”

He spoke at the end of the official opening ceremony for a two-day Artificial Insemination Technician training course which was facilitated by the UWI at the School of Veterinary Medicine. The course is part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen livestock capacity.

“This training course is very helpful in terms of (reducing) our food import bill because livestock is one of the chief protein source which alot of people depend on and this programme will help in boosting capacity in our livestock sector in order to meet local demand,” Ratiram said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ratiram underscored the ministry’s commitment to placing science and technology at the centre of agricultural development, while challenging participants to approach the training as a professional responsibility with direct impact on herd genetics, farmer confidence, and national production.

Funded by the Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPB), the two-day programme brought together 20 officers from Trinidad and Tobago for specialised training in bovine artificial insemination, addressing a critical skills gap in artificial insemination, supporting improved service delivery, food security, and long-term self-sufficiency in the livestock industry.