Government is moving to revive the country’s dairy industry, as a newly operational pasteurization plant comes on stream.
The facility in Longdenville features a 300-litre pasteurization unit and storage capacity of up to 3,000 litres.
Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram says it is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on imported dairy, with T&T spending about US$50 million annually on dairy imports.
It is expected to improve processing, expand product options, and give farmers better access to markets.
Minister Ratiram also noted the importance of the pasteurization process.
The plant is equipped to facilitate the production of several dairy products, including cheese, ice-cream and yogurt, which the Minister says are critical for economic diversification and rural enterprise development.
Minister Ratiram also highlighted a sharp decline in local milk production over the past decade – down roughly 66% from 3.2 million kilograms in 2013 to about 1 million kilograms this year.
