The Guyana government has made available lands in the Canje Basin for farmers in Trinidad and Tobago to invest in large-scale agriculture projection, TT Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj has said.
According to a statement by the Government Information Agency (GINA), Maharaj pointed out that there would be scientific and empirical data regarding the potential for farming in accordance with the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) before the land is offered to investors.
“It’s not farmers, but we want investors to come in to farm with their primary function to invest,” Maharaj emphasised.
Maharaj, who is on a visit to Guyana, said discussions with his local counterpart, Dr Leslie Ramsammy had been fruitful. He said the working meeting was to further cement the agreement between the two countries, which follows through on the Jagdeo Initiative proposed to Caricom decades ago.
Despite TT receiving most of its revenue from the blooming oil sector, he said the Kamla Persaud-Bissessar administration has revisited its strategy, hence the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Guyana earlier this year. Maharaj added that the objective of the initiative is to use it as an example for Caricom.
Standardisation of policies
Both ministers have now agreed to the areas in which entrepreneurs could look to invest.
These include: cultivation of corn, soya, other legumes, and root crops; livestock rearing; value-added products such as cassava flour; and aquaculture.
A technical team will meet in two weeks to agree on the harmonisation and standardisation of policies and strategies that would facilitate importation of products and crops from Guyana to Trinidad.
TT will advertise for expressions of interest among local entrepreneurs there. Site visits will be arranged, plans solicited, and those proposals evaluated by both sides before a final allocation is made.
Processing plants may be set up in Guyana for products that would require some processing before export, including meat.
This, he noted, would provide economic opportunities for both countries. “These strategies being utilised are geared towards the goal of TT, and also Guyana, reducing our food import bill from countries outside of the region, increasing our own food security interregional and bringing down food inflation in respective countries – all with the backdrop of creating sustainable employment and diversification of our economies,” the Trinidadian minister added.
