00:00Why should a country be importing crops such as lettuce and tomatoes?
00:05And even other produce which combined with technology like greenhouses and shade houses
00:10can be homegrown?
00:11Well, it's an acknowledgement by Agriculture Minister Ravi.
00:15Rattiram, who led stakeholder consultations to get feedback from Tunapuna farmers.
00:20And announced a Cabinet-approved plan.
00:22Within the next fortnight...
00:25...we will be launching the National Agricultural Training Initiative.
00:30...which will be a comprehensive suite of training programs for farmers and...
00:35...and even new persons who want to enter into the agricultural sector to train you in all...
00:40...that new technology that the agriculture sector comes with.
00:45According to the minister, the intention is for the Agriculture Development Bank.
00:50...to provide subsequent support to help farmers put that training to commercial use.
00:55...including venturing into agro-processing.
00:58Rattiram outlines that one of the main...
01:00...the main issues in the sector is repeated loss to farmers due to perennial flooding woes.
01:05In relation to the latter, he says, during the month of...
01:10...of May 2025, only one vehicle at the Prairie Alassani squad was operational.
01:15We have all seven has been functional now, and we have two new brands...
01:20...and one vehicle that we are waiting on the release of funds that is going to be joining the fleet.
01:24So within our...
01:25...a few days or a few weeks, we should be having all nine vehicles for the Prairie Alassani...
01:30...and we have to say thank you very much to the Honourable Prime Minister Kamala Pesad...
01:34...bisasa again.
01:35Drone technology is also being considered, but the consultation has also...
01:40...brought forward another idea to tackle Prairie Alassani from David Joseph from...
01:45...Alecom Security Services.
01:47And the solution is a military grade...
01:50...bio sensor.
01:51It is planted in the ground, so it is not visible.
01:53It is a very large...
01:55range but most important is a seasonal system. He says the sensor can be set
02:00to the crop cycle of the farmer and then removed but at this time no such
02:05project is operational locally. According to the minister while there is a flood mitigation
02:10plan, bureaucracy and relief support in part due to land tenure problems.
02:15Continues to disadvantage farmers. The spin-off is higher prices.
02:20Facing consumers on the market representative of the Coral Valley farmers.
02:25Association Suan Carrera says there are aspiring farmers who are unable to secure
02:30land but on the flip side that there are farmers who have lands and they are not
02:35farming it. I mean ask that you look into that because that those same lands.
02:40Can go to the people who really want to farm. She also takes a turn at Namdevco.
02:45saying farmers are sometimes sidelined over vendors at the Makoya market although
02:50it's a farmers market. They cannot get into the market for space, they have to
02:55fight with somebody, a vendor and things. You know it.
02:58Rati Ram says the government has to go to the government and the government has to go to the
03:00government. The government will re-examine the policy governing the market.
03:03As for some of the other issues.
03:05The government is raised at a consultation. The last government, what they were doing, they will
03:10go to redefine our bongries, they will pay $13,000, $15,000 to redefine our bongries.
03:15That's already established. And then they're telling you the shift in the bongries because other people
03:20have priority over existing farmers. On a side note.
03:25Plans are also underway to distribute snail bait to farmers to tackle the giant African snail bait.
03:30Alissa Boucher, TV6 News.
03:35Well, if you have a question for yourself, you won't have to take a step to the
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