By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) has new operating hours during the State of Emergency (SoE).
And anyone conducting essential services related to agriculture and food production can contact the Agriculture Ministry for clarification on the SoE regulations.
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat said his ministry will provide support to stakeholders who were required to operate during curfew hours and were applying to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith for a curfew permit.
On Monday, Griffith said that the requests for curfew permits were overwhelming and organisations needed to consider if everyone from a particular organisation needed to be out during the hours of 9pm to 5am.
It has been customary for markets to be opened in the wee hours of the morning to accommodate both wholesale and retail vendors.
Rambharat told AZPNews.com, “As a follow up the Commissioner of Police has worked out with me the proposed opening and closing hours for all NAMDEVCO markets and has also worked out a process for the Ministry and NAMDEVCO to verify applications from persons involved in agriculture (including fisherfolk, saw millers and horticulturists) made to the CoP for curfew permits.”
The new operating time for the Norris Deonarine Northern Wholesale Market from Mondays to Fridays is 6.30am to 2pm. At the Southern Wholesale Market in Debe, on Wednesday for wholesalers, the market will be open from 6.30am to 1.30pm. For retailers the market will be open on Wednesdays from 10am to 6pm. On Thursday, opening hours for retailers are 6.30am to 6.30pm and on Sunday, the hours are from 6.30am to 1.30pm.
Anyone with queries can email agriessential@gov.tt or WhatsApp at 367-0721.
