Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram says Trinidad and Tobago is moving to reduce its heavy reliance on imported food with the launch of a pilot project to produce corn, soybean, and black-eyed peas locally.
Speaking at the launch in Caroni on Thursday, Minister Ratiram warned that the country’s TT$7.4 billion food import bill leaves it vulnerable to global price shocks and supply disruptions.
“We are moving from dependency to self-determination, from vulnerability to resilience, and from consumption-driven polices to production-led development, he said.
“This launch signals the transition from a fragmented, import-dependent system to a coordinated, production-driven agricultural economy.”
Minister Ratiram said the new project marks a shift towards a “production-driven agricultural system” where trial plots are used to gather information on crop yields before expanding into mega projects.
“This pilot initiative is grounded in a structured phased methodology—from pilot demonstration to commercial sales,” he said.
“These demonstration plots will generate the empirical data required for national scale-up.”
Minister Ratiram said boosting local production of the crops will support the livestock sector, improve food security, and reduce pressure on foreign exchange.
“Corn is the primary energy component in livestock feed, and strengthening domestic production has immediate implications for feed costs and consumer prices,” he said.
“Soybean sits at the center of the food and livestock value chain, with output for both human consumption and animal feed,” the Agriculture Minister added.
The pilot project is being rolled out in collaboration with regional partners CARDI, IICA, UWI, and private farmers.
Minister Ratiram concluded that the project is a massive step towards a brighter future for Trinidad and Tobago.
“Every seed planted today is a step toward food security, saving foreign exchange, and building a resilient agricultural sector for Trinidad and Tobago.”
