Theme:
Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty
Speaking
at the World Food Day celebrations on October 18, 2015, at the Norris
Deonarine’s Northern Wholesale Market, Macoya, Agriculture Minister, Clarence
Rambharat outlined that the major issue facing the ministry was not so much
the food import bill, nor increasing food production but the
contribution that agriculture and fisheries make to household incomes,
particularly in rural economies.
At
the World Food Day celebrations at the Dwight Yorke Stadium Parade Grounds on
October 21, 2015, Tobago’s farmers displayed their produce in celebration of
the theme “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural
Poverty.
The Chairman National World Food day Committee 2015 emphasised that World Food Day is celebrated annually and is designed to provide public awareness and guidance on the complex issues in ensuring food security for all. World Food Day National Committees all over the world:
- draw attention to the management and protection of food systems and national food security;
- the country’s nutritional status; and
- the right to food and
- food access to the vulnerable and food insecure groups in the national community.
In
outlining the theme, the Chairman defined Social Protection as a
blend of policies, programmes and interventions aimed at the poor and food
insecure people or those vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity where
poverty includes lack of education, access to quality health care; inadequate
housing among other things. She emphasized that a viable and
productive agriculture sector is essential to addressing hunger and food
poverty, that the more we as a nation become food secure the less
poverty we would have and if we are able to feed ourselves, we are on
the road to true prosperity, better health and therefore a reduction in
poverty.
Secretary
for Division of Agriculture, Tobago House of Assembly (THA)
The
Secretary for Division of Agriculture,
Hayden Spencer pointed out that this year’s theme is very timely and
critical. He argued that of the seven billion people worldwide, one
seventh of the global population lives in extreme poverty and of that 78% live
in rural areas. He stated that persons in rural areas turn to agriculture
as a source of feeding themselves, their families as well as providing sources
of income. He also noted that access to food depends not only on its
availability but on persons’ ability to produce and purchase food.
He
further outlined the undermentioned policies/initiatives implemented by the
Division of Agriculture, THA to protect the vulnerable and to provide
financial, technical and infrastructural assistance to the residents:
- Youth apprentice programmes at the Kendal Farm School
- Home gardening competition encouraging home back yard gardens
- Farmers market in communities and
- The Buccoo training centre to train fisher folk
He called on all stakeholders - the fisher folk, farmers,
agro processors, fish processors and members of the pubic to partner with the
THA on its drive until every household has regular access to adequate and
nutritious food needed to lead a healthy lifestyle
Administrator Renwick of the
Division of Agriculture, Marine Affairs and Marketing and the Environment (DAME) highlighted that poverty
in synonymous with rural communities and that persons in rural communities
depend largely on agriculture for a living.
Administrator
Renwick threw out some challenges or poverty reduction strategies to
assist communities and to contribute to agricultural development in Tobago.
·
Youth
Engage
in agricultural research to educate the population of Tobago on the value of
indigenous plants once used for bush tea such as vervine, soursop,
greaterwood and christmas bush. She emphasized that these plants are
becoming important worldwide – that in Dominica, one can purchase packaged bush
tea just like you purchase Nescafe and coffee. She further stated
that the indigenous plants are mostly found in the rural areas and can become a
source of income for persons
·
Private individuals with idle lands
She
urged private individuals to contribute to the agriculture development in
Tobago by planting coconut trees so as to develop the coconut industry because
we import coconut water from Guyana and the Dominican Republic. She
stated that coconut oil is king, every one wants to use coconut oil – whether
it is virgin coconut oil or flavored coconut oil.
· Community -
Create an agro tourism product from your flower gardens
Fishing Village –she urged the fishing villages to bring back the Fish
Fridays at the esplanade – it is an income generating venture and can break the
cycle of rural poverty.
Mr.
Neptune, President of the Tobago’s Agricultural Society expressed his disappointment in agriculture production and
food security in Tobago. He pointed out that, years ago, the hills were
covered with greenery - that is corn and peas, potato and
yam, plantains and bananas. However, today it is
covered with grass due to the drastic decline an agricultural production in the
rural areas of Tobago. He stated that Tobago has moved from the position
of being the food basket of the nation to the food market
for farmers in Trinidad and CARICOM territories, that the 2005
consumption survey revealed that the annual food bill was approx. 65 million
and today it is much more.
Mr.
Neptune called for a reversal of the trends at world food day celebrations
where there are much more craft, flowers, now clothes and cars seen on
display than food. He also identified some problems affecting farmers
as Lack of water; Praedial larceny; Land for farming and Lack of strategic planning.
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