Farmers in Trinidad have long voiced concerns over land tenure challenges that affect their livelihoods.
Addressing these concerns, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ravi Ratiram, along with Minister in the Ministry, Saddam Hosein, emphasised that the government is actively working to resolve land tenure issues and reduce the impact of flooding on crops and farmlands.
On the matter of land tenure, farmers applying for official registration or benefits must provide proof of land ownership—an issue Minister Hosein has assured is a key priority for the government.
“With respect to the particular issues of land tenure, the Commissioner of State Lands did raise with me, in some instances there may have been, because of the dated—how old those leases were—that there may have been an evolution in terms of the land use and the land tenure, so that is something that we have to work with other agencies for in terms of the classification of the lands and the issuances of the lease in particular for agricultural purposes.”
Following the damage caused to several farmers over the weekend, Minister Ratiram said the Ministry is on the ground assisting those in need.
Citing neglect from the previous administration and abandonment of watercourses that prevented the free flow of water, Minister Ratiram said the flooding issues could have been mitigated.
“We will be coming up with a priority listing that we intend to execute in a swift manner. There will be short-term measures that we may have to put—for example, bailey bridges and so forth—and then it will be medium and long-term infrastructural works. Most of this work should have happened during the dry season. It’s very sad and unfortunate now that we are finding ourselves in the rainy season where farmers have to go through the mud and the waters to get to their produce and to get their produce out.”
Ministers Ratiram and Hosein, in a discovery they described as “shocking and disturbing,” alleged that the previous administration misused funds for political gain.
Minister Hosein explained: “Where one particular State Enterprise was being abused by the former administration—in terms of instead of spending money for expenditure on agricultural infrastructure, access roads, bridges, waterways—those monies and funds were being channelled to political purposes right before the General Election.”
They further stated that agricultural infrastructure has been neglected across the country, and a review is underway to find solutions to address the many issues affecting farmers and citizens at large.