Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath launched a 115-acre farm in central Trinidad Tuesday, calling it an alternative to the mega farms of the previous Manning PNM administration.
In an address to mark the event Bharath said there was no value in return for the $100 million that the previous government spent on their mega farms.
“We’ve rescued the programme,” Bharath said, noting that his ministry has given licences to 15 farms.
Bharath said the negotiations with the private businesses were critical in order to ensure that small farmers were not placed at a disadvantage.
The first large farm - Edinburgh Farms - is a subsidiary of Caribbean Chemicals and Agencies Ltd, which is owned and operated by the Pires family.
Caribbean Chemicals is planning to grow sweet corn, onions and hot peppers which could be exported and also sold to large local fast food outlets. The hot peppers will be used to produce pepper mash which is usually imported by companies like Matouk’s.
The company's Managing Director, Joe Pires, said the local Subway franchise had expressed interest in buying fresh locally-produced onions.
Edinburgh Farms also plans to grow edible soya beans to supply the country's Chinese restaurants.
The minister said the top priority for the People's Partnership govern,ment is producing food at home. The country's food import bill, he noted, has been more than $4 billion in food over the last three years.
He said one of the most extreme food problems that faces Trinidad and Tobago is that traditional food exporting nations are now starting to horde food for their own people.
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