Farmers explore ways to impact UK market

IF TRINIDAD and Tobago farmers and food processors are to create any impact on the United Kingdom Market, they have to meet certain rigid criteria demanded by British businessmen.

This fact was stressed at a seminar, hosted last week by the British Caribbean Chamber of Commerce (BCCC), in collaboration with the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) at the Hilton Trinidad. The seminar was said to be timely, in light of the expansion and the opening of markets under free trade arrangements. It sought to sensitise exporters in the agricultural and food processing industry, as well as offer support for the development of the export trade, for the supermarket industry, organic market, and packaging techniques. Facilitators at the seminar were three British businessmen representing different interests. Dr Jonathan Turner, Anthanasios Mandis and Tim Moruzzi spoke on different subjects, but what they said amounted to telling their audience the same thing — what exactly is needed to get into the UK market.

Topics up for discussion were the United Kingdom retail sector, quality and innovation, product and packaging qualifications, food safety, technical standards, market and consumer trends and label offerings. The consensus was that there is room for Trinidad and Tobago products in the United Kingdom, but it was stressed that consumers in the United Kingdom want to know that the products are safe. The enthusiastic farmers lapped up with gusto all that was said, asking a number of pertinent questions. Chief executive officer at NAMDEVCO, Samaroo Dowlath, said his company had a good programme of agricultural practices. “We will work with farmers who are willing to get into the programme,” he said. He noted that with plans to lease Caroni lands to local farmers, the agricultural picture looked good. He also disclosed that NAMDEVCO now had professional staff in the Quality Assurance Unit.

Meanwhile, in its efforts to facilitate and increase trade both ways between the UK and the Caribbean, the BCCC is soliciting the views of its membership and from companies interested or involved in exporting. These will be forwarded to the Ministry of Trade and Industry in order to maximise the benefits to exporters in international trade negotiations. BCCC members have been given forms to fill out, outlining the products or service in which they do trade. BCCC also wants to know the main difficulties their members encounter in their efforts to export more than they do at present.