Playing politics with Caroni

THE EDITOR: The big question today is what to do with Caroni and its many thousands of acres of agricultural lands growing cane for sugar that does not pay today?

What is to become of the many thousands of people who have made their lives on the growing and cutting of cane? What plan does our government have for the use of those thousands of acres of Caroni lands - prime agricultural lands that can grow citrus, corn, tonca beans, sunflower seeds and a host of other products including dairy and garden products that we have to import from outside? The many thousands of people who would be displaced by the shutting down of Caroni are people who know the land and how to use land to grow anything. That has always been a part of their culture, a part of their religion. Why not institute a development plan instead of a breadline plan to re-structure Caroni to grow and package all the produce that we have to import today? The agricultural land is there. The workers who know the land are there. It is just a matter of getting the twain together. It may take some time to make such an economic turnaround, but it would certainly pay off in the long run, instead of selling off the land in parcels to greedy businessmen and politicians who have housing and other projects in mind.

ELLIS MAINGOT
Trincity