00:00President of the SILS Farmers Support Group, Bindra Maharaj, is today appealing to government
00:07to listen to the cries of the farming community. He says the industry is suffering.
00:12Minister Saddam Hussein, to really concentrate on the land tenure issues, leases for farmers,
00:21right? And the senior minister, Mr. Ratiram, Minister Ratiram, to hear us. We want to be heard.
00:28Let us talk. Let us come up. We, the farmers, we know where the flooding, what is happening,
00:35where it is. When a farmer talks to an engineer for the Ministry of Works, they shoot down the
00:40farmer, but we know the problems. We are there when the engineer is not there.
00:45Maharaj tells us the recent adverse weather conditions left several farmers hanging by a
00:52thread, with many crops falling prey to the heavy floods. He says the situation is still bad for
00:59many farmers, and he questions the absence of the Agricultural Society.
01:04Where is the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago? If you are the recognized farming group,
01:12recognized by parliament, the group that is an act of parliament, where are you? Why are our farmers
01:23suffering right now under flood conditions? Are we not seeing anybody or anybody coming from the ASTT
01:29who is the recognized body to assist our farmers? Maharaj says this country has the potential to do so
01:37much with its crops, but support and investment are needed. He made reference to our Sugarloaf
01:44pineapple, calling it the best in the Western Hemisphere. Why don't we get the private sector
01:51involved in the agro-processing of pineapple to make, as I said the last time, pineapple juice,
01:59pineapple side slices, junks, whatever have you. Everything that we can do with pineapple,
02:05let us do it, can it, and export. That is a sure way of getting the foreign exchange back in.
02:12Meanwhile, Debedin Manik, President of the Felicity Food Crop Farmers Association,
02:18tells TV6 the best way to move forward is through the adoption of a farmers-centered approach.
02:25We have a serious problem with water availability, water source, and the quality of water that we use
02:32to irrigate the farm industry. I am here to talk about solutions, Marlon, and possible solutions.
02:39What we require is that during the rainy season, we need to harvest this water, the water, into ponds,
02:47in large ponds. And once we have these here, they could be used in the dry season, and we can irrigate
02:53and give the farmers in the water so they'll be able to produce year-round. And that is a burning issue.
02:58Nicole M. Romani, TV6 News.
03:03So here is remote.
03:05I am leaving.
03:07So my family is in the water, I am leaving, and I am leaving.
03:16Again, I am leaving.
03:18I will leave in the water.
03:20I am leaving.
03:22Now I will be leaving.
03:23So I will leave in the water.
03:25Now I will think,
03:26I am leaving.
03:27So,
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