Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ravi Ratiram, says there is strong demand outside of Trinidad and Tobago for locally grown mangoes.
Speaking to TTT News at a training session under the National Agriculture Training Initiative at the Upper El Dorado Community Centre on Thursday, he revealed plans to boost mango, coconut, and avocado production as part of a wider push to expand agricultural exports.
“I recently would have visited Argentina, and we have fifty million persons there in Argentina, and they expressed a high level of interest. The persons who I met had a high level of interest in importing mangoes from Trinidad to Argentina. So, we are looking at boosting mango production because there is a huge export opportunity that exists.”
Beyond mangoes, the Minister also underscored the importance of strengthening local coconut production.
“You know, last year we would have given out over five thousand Brazilian dwarf coconuts. So while we, you know, distribute coconut seeds and seedlings to our farmers out there, we are training younger ones and we are training persons about coconut production because we intend to do another distribution of coconut plants in the near future.”
He added that similar training initiatives are planned for avocado production, aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on imports.
“Why it is we have to be importing avocado into this country when it is we can produce some of the most delicious tasting avocados? So, we are looking to train persons in avocado production, and we are also looking at partnering with some international agencies to help get the correct variety. We look at the best variety that exists to give us that avocado across the year.”
Minister Ratiram noted that under the National Agriculture Training Initiative, participants are already being trained in a wide range of areas, including cocoa, cassava, banana, pineapple, and ornamental plant production, among others.