Senator the Honourable Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, today met with a senior delegation from Nestlé at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Head Office to discuss the company’s future business strategy and opportunities for continued investment in Trinidad and Tobago’s agricultural sector.
The Nestlé delegation comprised Ms. Siti Jones-Gordon, Head of Communications for the Caribbean; Mr. Pedro Ospina, Director of Corporate Affairs for the Central America and Caribbean Region; and Mr. Jorge Hoyos, Chief Financial Officer for the Caribbean.
Minister Ratiram was accompanied by Ms. Michelle Anne Thomas, Permanent Secretary (Ag.); Dr. Michelle Mellows, Chief Technical Officer; Dr. Anil Ramnanan, Technical Advisor to the Minister; and Mr. Ravi Pooran-Maharaj, Advisor to the Minister.
During the meeting, Nestlé informed the Minister that in alignment with the company’s global business strategy, it intends to restructure their local portfolio with particular attention to its operations with dairy and juices.
The Minister received assurance from the Nestlé delegation that its goal is the preservation of jobs and to ensure that the factory’s legacy and operations remain intact throughout the transition.
Discussions also focused on opportunities to expand collaboration between the Ministry and Nestlé in advancing the revitalization of the dairy sector. Particular emphasis was placed on Nestlé’s support of the National Agricultural Training Initiative (NATI), with both parties exploring future partnerships to deliver technical training, capacity-building programmes and knowledge-transfer initiatives designed to strengthen the skills of dairy farmers.
Additionally, Minister Ratiram and the Nestlé delegation agreed to undertake a joint visit to Nestlé’s Model Farm Development Project in Turure, to review existing infrastructure, assess areas for improvement and identify potential opportunities for future collaboration.
Minister Ratiram also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working closely with dairy farmers and other key stakeholders to ensure there are no disruptions to the dairy supply chain during the transition.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries remains committed to engaging with stakeholders to support economic development, protect employment, and advance initiatives that strengthen the nation’s agricultural sector.
