By Chantalé Fletcher
BORROWING the Nike slogan, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowely encouraged Trinidad and Tobago and CARICOM states to “just do it”.
He said, “We at the level of the leadership in CARICOM, we have to keep trying to become self-sufficient in food, secure in food.”
Speaking launch of the Agri Investment Forum and Expo II, Dr Rowely said, “If we are to protect ourselves from the promise of the harsher months and years ahead, that is why we’ve restarted and started with a bang.”
He said that putting together this initiative with phase one in Guyana and phase two in T&T is the best opportunity to solve a problem that was “looming large and looming dangerously.”
Dr Rowley said the importance of youth programmes and the introduction of T&T’s young people to a business was not only lucrative if done well but could save the country from starvation.
He expressed excitement about collaboration between youths in Guyana and T&T working on several agricultural initiatives.
He called on the Universitiy of Guyana , The University of the West Indies and the University of Trinidad and Tobago to get involved, help solve these problems and train young people.
Dr Rowley said, “The economics need to be known. The outcome needs to be assured and the desire needs to be encouraged.”
He said in order to become self-sufficient starting with 25% local production, replacement and displacement would be required.
Dr Rowley said suppliers from outside the region would now be the competition of local producers, but warned not to be surprised if there were persons among the population that would object to local supply replacing imported supply.
He said, “If we do not aim to replace the imported supply with local supply, then we are condemning ourselves to the vagaries of the ups and downs of the international market. And we will not be able to look after ourselves.”
Dr Rowley encouraged members of the private sector not to be resistant to these developments, get on board and become the distributor of local produce rather than being the engine of imported produce
The three-day- Agri Investment Forum and Expo began on Friday from 2.30 pm to 10 pm at the Queen’s Park Savannah with over 330 exhibitors in various fields and will continue on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm.
