RAHAEL: NO GRAB FOR CARONI LAND

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE John Rahael said that Government is committed to “transparency in dealing with the distribution of lands formerly owned by Caroni (1975) Limited.”

He told the media yesterday the Estate Management Company, which is responsible for the 78,000 acres of land owned by the former Caroni, would be given out for Housing Estates, Industrial Estates, and  agriculture and that “there would be no land grabbing as far as we are concerned.” He assured that everything was being done in an orderly and systematic manner to ensure that the operations of the Estate Management Company would be above any discriminatory accusations. Rahael said that all preparations for the 2004 sugar cane crop, expected to begin on Janaury 15, were being finalised and that the target being aimed at was 75,000 tonnes of sugar.

He said that Trinidad and Tobago would first be satisfying its European Quota (up to 50,000 tonnes of sugar) with an estimated foreign exchange earnings of US$20 million. Rahael said that farmers who would solely be supplying cane to be ground at the Usine Ste Madeleine Factory would only be able to supply an estimated 650,000 tonnes of canes and this would only produce 56,000 tonnes of sugar. The remaining cane needed  to reach the target of 75,000 tonnes of sugar would be taken from fields that were formerly owned by Caroni “as contracts have already been given out in that regard.” he said the machinery was being properly oiled at the Usine Factory where 600 employees (90 percent of whom would be former Caroni employees) would be given the assignment to produce sugar only. Rahael stressed that Government was keeping its promise to retrain displaced employees and so far 1,200 were being given courses for other jobs available in the country.