Repeal of Cocoa Act crippled industry

Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat, made the statement at the opening of World Cocoa and Chocolate Day at the JFK Lecture Hall, University of the West Indies, St Augustine on Friday.

Rambharat stated that the Act provided the framework in which the sectors were accustomed to operating for decades. This framework provided the sectors with government support for every stage of the process, and so its repeal in 2012 had detrimental consequences.

He said in the absence of that framework, there was a an increase in uncertainty and an increased decline of the industry.

“To remove that without a transition plan, and without a statutory framework to preserve, protect and drive quality issues in relation to the bean itself, created problems which, at that time, were insurmountable,” he stated.

Therefore, Rambharat said the Cocoa Development Company and the new board was given a mandate to recreate the framework to ensure that the country’s status and integrity as cocoa producers are not compromised, and to bring confidence in the sector.

However, he said, despite any future increases, it would be impossible for agriculture and fisheries to replace oil and gas with respect to contributing to the country’s GDP.

Instead, he said its contribution would be to the earning capacity of individuals in rural communities.

“Cocoa is a vital commodity in rural TT if we can rehabilitate estates, if we can boost production, and if we can convert that production through value added into products that remain in TT for local purchase and consumption.

That is where the true effects is going to be found. Not in agriculture’s contribution to the national GDP, but agriculture and fisheries’ contribution to rural development and the earning capacity of rural households,” he said.

Unfortunately, he said, lack of attention to fair free trade allowed an influx of sub-standard commodities and products to the country, leaving consumers “heartless” towards local products.

One problem, he said was that policies and facilities critical to the creation and protection of local producers and products were absent in TT. For example he said since May 2014, the country has had no Chemistry, Food and Drug Lab. “It is difficult to conceive that things other countries use to protect their local consumers and producers, we have either failed to put in place or allowed to erode over time,” he said. Despite this, he said while he, as a minister has responsibilities to facilitate through legislation, policies and infrastructure, consumers should recognise their own responsibility to help with the food import bill in that if they don’t buy, people won’t import it.