00:00 Agriculture continues to be a sector that struggles to attract the youth, but one that
00:06 needs them in order to thrive later on. Speaking with reporters at the Food, Agriculture and
00:12 Beverages Expo at Gulf City Mall in San Fernando today, Minister of Local Government Faris
00:17 El-Rawi praised the five-day venture, which showcases and encourages people to get involved
00:23 and/or support local farmers.
00:26 You know the food importation bill in Trinidad is close to $3 billion, $3,000 million spent
00:32 in food importation. To see people producing right here with value added from the field,
00:40 you're looking at refined products, this is value added at source. It means that there
00:44 are better margins for the persons who are involved in this. So quite simply put, money
00:50 does grow on trees. It's called agriculture.
00:53 Boots on Display showcased an array of locally grown and made products. Over the weekend,
00:58 an extensive farmers market will also be set up for those passing through the Expo. Also
01:03 visiting on Friday was Mayor of San Fernando, Robert Parris, who said existing government
01:08 programs have made the sector more than worthwhile to young people.
01:12 All the information is there. Stop having selective hearing. Everything is there. So
01:21 I think that there are a lot of incentives for people. I mean, if I was 21 years old
01:26 and I got the opportunity to get land and a house through agriculture, I would take
01:31 advantage of it. So I'm asking that young people get into agriculture.
01:36 Agriculture can be a way of generating self-income and self-generating revenue for persons who
01:42 are out of the school system, those who can't find sustainable jobs. And agriculture is
01:47 one way to diversify that.
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