00:00 Sweltering heat coupled with lack of access to water has resulted in the loss of 1,000
00:10 chickens per day.
00:12 The drying up of crops stunted growth and low dairy production across the country.
00:19 On a daily basis I have complaints coming in.
00:21 We have farmers in terms of crop that is losing up to 30% of those crops.
00:26 We have broiler farmers losing at least 10% of that.
00:30 We have livestock farmers in terms of that their production levels has also dropped due
00:36 to the additional stress from the heat wave as well.
00:43 President of the Agricultural Society of TNT, Daryl Rampersad, takes us to one farm
00:48 to witness first hand the effects of climate change.
00:53 Has it ever been this bad in terms of the dry spell, the heat wave?
00:57 There are times that we have went through this previously within Trinidad and Tobago.
01:01 Just as the same as there, we are accustomed with the additional rainfall.
01:05 So these are things that have been happening year after year after year.
01:11 These pepper plants are supposed to be three times their size.
01:15 And for the crops that do survive the scorching temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius and above,
01:22 like this sorrel for instance, consumers will soon start feeling the pinch in their pockets.
01:28 We are heading into two seasons, Diwali and Christmas to follow.
01:32 We can't anticipate to see higher food prices again and again due to the effects of climate
01:38 change.
01:39 If we continue at this rate, we can see tripling as it did in the later part of last year as
01:44 well with the additional rainfall.
01:46 It can triple.
01:48 Because remember last year we had produce tomato going from $6 to $30 a pound.
01:53 We've seen from melon, hot pepper and others followed right after.
01:56 And if it continues in this manner, we are going to see that.
02:00 With the budget to be read on October 2nd, Rampersad hopes for an increase in allocation
02:05 to agriculture.
02:06 In terms of releases, it's a big struggle in terms of releases based upon availability
02:13 of funds.
02:14 And then the year flies so quickly as well too.
02:17 Imagine that we have now completed the financial year and the agriculture society has only
02:21 gotten approved from their budget less than 7%.
02:25 But their wish list isn't only limited to money.
02:29 Well what we like to see in agriculture is actually improvement in terms of agriculture
02:33 infrastructure.
02:34 Right, so what we're looking at, last year we were drowning and this year we're drying
02:39 up.
02:40 And some of the same channels that we use to irrigate our crops, we also use to drain the
02:44 fields.
02:45 He also hopes for the continuous education of farmers, particularly to deal with climate
02:51 change.
02:52 How we can utilize less water, irrigation systems that utilize less water, even within
02:58 our animal care, how we can mitigate the effects of heat stress.
03:03 So for example in the poultry pens, if we can set up misters and all these things above
03:07 ground pens and whatnot that will allow the air flow for the animals.
03:11 But all of this as well is going to need to happen through an educational process.
03:17 Making the incentive program more accessible is also key to greater local food production.
03:24 We have more than 65% of the farming community that cannot access the incentive program because
03:29 of one criteria which states that you must be a holder of a lease, land owner or have
03:35 permission to use the same land.
03:37 What about our brothers who are squatting?
03:39 And we are well aware that these are daily contributors to agriculture in Trinidad and
03:43 Tobago.
03:44 In the last fiscal year, agriculture received the second lowest budgetary allocation at
03:50 $1.3 billion.
03:52 Arvashi Tawari, Rupnirine TV6 News.
03:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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