Trinidad and Tobago’s agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing industries are poised to benefit greatly from a relationship with counterparts in India.
This partnership was set in motion on Tuesday with a number of stakeholders participating in a seminar hosted by the High Commission of India, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) titled, “Exploring Opportunities with India: Agriculture and Food Processing.”
High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago Pradeep Rajpurohit highlighted the success India has had in agriculture and food processing, noting that Trinidad and Tobago has all the variables needed for equal success.
“The amount of cultivation here, the potential is immense. I see that you have some of the world-class products. Your Julie mango alone, as I said before also, can transform the agriculture and food processing industry. Whosoever has tasted Julie, I mean, we are a mango country, we don’t have this kind of mango. Your pineapples are one of the best. You have dragon fruits. Your papaya is one of the best. It just needs some more modification of technologies.”
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Ravi Ratiram said the seminar was another link in the relationship between T&T and India. The Minister recalled the handing over of US$1 million worth of agri-processing equipment by India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in July 2025, noting that this investment is just part of the strategy for empowering the industry.
“Today’s seminar is not simply an event. It is a step forward in building a modern and diversified agricultural economy that Trinidad and Tobago has long yearned for. It is something that has been waiting on for the longest while because, from time after time, we would have heard about the diversification of our economy. Well, this year is an ideal opportunity to place agriculture once more at the centre of the diversification of our economy.”
He encouraged all stakeholders to continue innovating, using technology and capitalising on partnerships to ensure a strong, profitable industry.
“Agricultural transformation requires collaboration across the government, private sector, academia, and farming communities. It requires all hands getting on board. No man is an island and we all need to work together and integrate that strategy in developing our food security and developing our agriculture sector.”
The end result is a resilient sector that supports farmers, enhances food security, and contributes to national development for future generations.