Bharath wants former cane lands to produce food

Vasant Bharath wants all lands that were owned by Caroni (1975) Limited to be handed back to his food production ministry.

Speaking with reporters Thursday he said the sugar company owned thousands of acres of the country's most arable lands and he wants the lands to produce food to feed the nation.

When the Manning government shut down the company he transferred the lands to the finance ministry and began converting much of the agricultural holdings to housing.

Bharath wants that changed. He said the lands must be put to use to feed the nation, not housing.

Speaking about the possibility of reviving the sugar industry, the minister noted that returning to sugar production might not be feasible because of the high cost of production.

He suggested that the focus should be on producing food and reducing the dependence on importing basic food items.

"Things like tomatoes and cabbage can be grown here. Last year the food import bill was $4 billion, this money could have been used in other areas like health or education," he said.

He promised that he would work closely with the farming community through agricultural extension officer who would keep in constant touch with farmers.

The minister said there is no reason why Trinidad and Tobago should be importing produce such as fresh vegetables that farmers can grow locally.

Bharath also plans a public awareness campaign to get home people involved in home gardening, which he said would help reduce the food import bill and keep inflation low.