Senior Reporter
andrea.perez-sobers@guardian.co.tt
T&T can see a reduction in food prices as many people are growing their own produce and the country has seen a decrease in the poundage of food being imported, says Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon.
“Now, the poundage or the volume of imports has gone down. That’s what I’ve looked at, the volumes, because some of the pricing has gone up. And so, to test is to look at the volume of goods that have come in. And I’m very pleased to see that reduction.
“Also, the public, I think, is adapting to growing your food and eating what you grow. There are many people with backyard gardens,” she said.
She was speaking to Guardian Media at T&T’s Agri Expo 2024 at the Queen’s Park Savannah yesterday.
Gopee-Scoon said she was pleased to see some of the new producers, especially iFarm, which is from the ministry’s Moruga Agro Processing Park.
“So very pleased with the progress that they’ve made ... you’re going to see more and more of a reduction in imports,” the minister said.
She made note of the increase in local businesses, particularly in the food and beverage sector, actively participating in the expo, but voiced her concern that despite this, much of what is consumed continues to be imported.
“Between agriculture and manufacturing, much of the imports now, sadly, much of the inputs into manufacturing, sadly, are imported. What we want is to use all local inputs in the production of our food and beverage items for export. But we’re seeing a lot of new products this time. I see better packaging, which means that it’s more amenable to the export market as well,” Gopee-Scoon detailed.
Many of these businesses, the minister said, have been assisted, especially the small and medium-sized ones, with grants through the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the purchase of machinery and equipment and also for certification.
“So we’re very pleased with the output today and the range of exhibitors as well. When you speak of the farm-to-table, which is the focus this year, farm-to-table, it involves several stages.”
She also praised the ministries of Agriculture and Youth Development for their projects that bolstered the local food supply. “It’s amazing to see the youth that are involved in agriculture now and are excited about it. That’s where we’re starting, from the bottom up. And to my mind, those two ministries have done exponentially well. but you’re going to begin to see the results in the next few years as they roll out more and more shade house projects across T&T,” the minister added.