The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services has confirmed that starting today and for the next three months, families across the country will benefit from a local food initiative, receiving food baskets stocked with produce from T&T farmers.
In a news release, the Ministry says the initiative is the result of partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and NAMDEVCO.
The local food baskets will comprise local fruits and vegetables, and will go to those persons unable to access social support grants, as well as families with children under the School Feeding Programme who were unable to get food cards from their respective Members of Parliament.
The full text of the Ministry’s statement, follows…
30,000 LOCAL FOOD BASKETS: MINISTRIES PARTNER FOR COVID FOOD INITIATIVE
The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services (MSDFS) as the core Government agency charged with the responsibility to serve and protect the vulnerable of our country, recently partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries for another initiative, to assist persons in immediate need of food support for during the COVID-19 Stay at Home period.
In this regard, over three months, starting May 1 2020, 30,000 Local Food Baskets will be distributed across the country. Each recipient will get a $250.00 supermarket voucher, a bag of ground provisions, callaloo, pumpkin, a bag of local fruits and vegetables including pineapples, melons, melongene, a box of tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and seasonings, and two chickens. The food basket will be supplied by NAMDEVCO and sourced from farmers across the country.
The recipients of the Local Food Baskets and supermarket vouchers will be drawn from those persons who are unable to access the social support grants, as well as those households with children under the School Feeding Programme that were unable to access food cards from their Member of Parliament. This initiative commenced from today with The Honourable Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Social Development and Family Services, assisting with the delivery to some of the MP Offices. Recipients will be contacted by their respective Member of Parliament for collection accordingly.
This initiative will cost taxpayers the sum of $15,000,000.00. The Government through the Ministries of Social Development and Family Services and the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, remains committed to bringing relief to those who have been negatively affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that no one is left behind as we begin to chart the road to recovery.