‘Oui Food’ winners get prizes

The competition was held in October 2005 and winners were presented with their prizes last week at the Ministry of Agriculture, Chaguanas office.

Hercules who was excited to be the Cassava winner and the Special Prize winner in the Tilapia Class was honoured “to be chosen for prizes as people must realise the importance of growing their own food to save money as it was very expensive to make market these days.”

She said that “if people realise the importance of agriculture in their daily lives many more people would go back to the land for satisfaction.”

Also taking top honours was Kimchan Ramsamooj of Princes Town who placed first in the Hot Pepper Class and also won the Rabbit section.

Also outstanding in winners’ row was Virginia Marcano who won the Tilapia Class and placed second in the Paw Paw section.

The Agricultural Society thought it “advisable to encourage the population to return to agri-business as it was essential not only to save money, but to feel a sense of pride in reaping what you plant and cooking what you reap,” president Patrick Greenidge said.

Jarrette Narine, the Minister of Agriculture, said in a brochure, that the World Food Day theme “Agriculture and Intercultural Dialogue would find expression in the Oui Food Festival as central to this year’s exhibition is agro-processing and value added activities related to the development of seven commodities — rabbit, tilapia, hot pepper, pumpkin, paw-paw, sweet potato and cassava.”

He noted that the nation’s agricultural produce “owes its variety to the multi-cultural composition of Trinidad and Tobago and this is due to the fact that different cultures brought with them foods that were familiar and the melting pot that benefitted was our country.”

Winners of the various categories who were presented with their prizes are: -

CASSAVA - 1. Merle Hercules; (fruit cake); 2. Roxanne Heywood of Chaguanas (seasoned dried cassava).

HOT PEPPER - 1. Kimchan Ramsamooj of Princes Town (pepper flakes powder); 2. Krishnawatie Tiwari of Arouca (pepper sauce); 3. Brent Halls of Laventille (lime pepper sauce);

PUMPKIN - 1. Sylvan Sydney of Port-of-Spain (pump de creme); 2. Cheryl Reyes of San Juan (baby food); 32. Colleen Chandler of South Oropouche (vegetarian drink).

PAW PAW - 1. Karen Tobias of Mt Lambert (sweet and sour sauce); 2. Virginia Marcano of Moruga (condiment); 3. Dawn and Donnan Paponette of Valencia (candy).

RABBIT - 1. Kimchan Ramsamooj of Princes Town (seasoned and ready to cook); 2. Winston Borrel of Maraval (rabbit pie).

TILAPIA - 1. Virginia Marcano of Moruga (ready to cook) and special prize — Merle Hercules of Tobago.