Agriculture

Ban on Venezuelan crab meat

The agriculture minister has instructed the fisheries division to discontinue the issuing of permits for the importation of processed crab meat and live crabs from Venezuela.

The US food and drug administration has found a bacteria in fresh crab meat from Venezuela that can cause cholera. 

Speaking with CNC3 news minister Clarence Rambharat said that the crab meat referred to by the US is processed and packaged crab meat. He says the ministry of trade has stopped issuing licenses for the import of that product from Venezuela. 

Resistant citrus plants imported to replace 200,000 destroyed by greening disease

Almost a year after government destroyed 200,000 citrus plants contaminated by citrus greening disease, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat assured that new resistant citrus stock has been imported from the United States and are now flourishing in the St Augustine nurseries.

In an interview, Rambharat said once the plants are ready for replanting, it will be sold to farmers at the usual cost. 

Lowest rice production in years

Grappling with millions of dollars in debts, local rice farmers say they have experienced their lowest yields ever and are blaming the government and the National Flour Mills.

Figures from NFM show that farmers produced only 126 tonnes of rice for 2018, compared to 2,800 tonnes in 2014. At present there are 30 rice farmers in T&T compared to more than 10,000 in the 1970’s and 80’s.

Make cocoa the national fruit

The National 4-H Council of T&T plans to lobby president Paula Mae-Weeks to make cocoa a national fruit. Natasha Lee, president of the national 4-H Council, and Leon Granger, CEO of the Cocoa Development Company of T&T Limited (CDCTTL) outlined reasons why this should happen. The duo spoke with T&T Guardian Media last Thursday when the CDCTTL hosted a training programme for the youths of the 4-H Council’s clubs at CDCTTL’s Chaguanas head offices.

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