TT food crop farmers call for removal of Bajan licensing on perishable items

The National Food Crop Farmers’ Association is calling for the removal of the substantive licenses on all perishable items in an attempt to relieve the hardship on Trinidad and Tobago farmers. In a release, the Association has expressed its profound disappointment at the actions taken by the Barbadian government in imposing “punitive measures” against products coming out of Trinidad and Tobago. The Association said it is “unfair” that farmers of Trinidad and Tobago and consumers of Barbados must bear the brunt of the “ever expanding egos of politicians” because the two governments are at “loggerheads.”

These sanctions were the result of an unresolved dispute between the two countries because of the non-existence of a bi-lateral agreement on co-operation for fishing, delimitation of maritime boundaries, utilisation of the seabed for the exploration of natural resources, namely oil and gas and management of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the released noted. The Association said that the “significant” volumes of perishable goods to Barbados are rendered relatively cheaper than if they were imported from eleswhere. “This action by the Barbados government is contrary to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and goes against the spirit of Caricom, an organisation dedicated to the unity and stability of the region, its economy, politics and culture,” the Association added.