(Trinidad Guardian) Calls are being made for the Government to partner with local entrepreneurs as this country looks to partner with Guyana to produce corn, soybean and poultry.
Speaking to Guardian Media, the former president of the Rice Farmers Association David Paponette said in 2017, attempts were made to establish a dry corn and soybean initiative in Guyana which would have facilitated the production of products by National Flour Mills.
However, Paponette says despite having a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Guyanese government, the project failed because of a lack of support.
Paponette said they could not secure a loan from the Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) and the 500 acres of land allocated to the project were never utilised.
With Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley committing to expanding corn and soybean production, Paponette said T&T’s grain farmers who are interested in Guyana could be consulted.
Paponette called on the new Minister Kazim Hosein to partner with local farmers to make the project a success.
Paponette also said the ease of doing business in Guyana was better than in T&T.
“Once you go in there and you are progressive and open to investment, they find ways to facilitate you. Guyana offers an option that doesn’t exist in Trinidad, which is the possibility of one farmer doing 5,000 acres or one large company doing 100,000 acres of corn and soybean,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein said discussions related to Guyana are at the level of Caricom. He said a follow-up meeting will be held in August following which other details will be fleshed out.
