Rice rise a boon for agriculture

The 25 percent increase in the price of rice imported by National Flour Mills Limited (NFM), far from being a negative development, should facilitate an increase in the production of root crops, for example yams, dasheen and cassava, not only in Trinidad and Tobago but Caricom as well. This would generate increased employment in Trinidad and Tobago and in Eastern Caribbean states which today supply this country with relatively large quantities of agricultural produce. Increased imports of the produce would assist in rolling back prices of root crops which have risen as consumers had a fresh look at these crops following on the jump in the price of imported rice. In turn, it should encourage Government to revisit the proposal in the 1981 Budget for the employment of DEWD (now URP) labour in the production of cereals and pulses, beans, pineapples, carrots, onions, and extend this to the growing of root crops. 

If implemented today, the increased production of these crops would find a ready market in the school feeding programme. There is no reason why because of the known reluctance of all too many Trinidadians to agricultural labour that persons with farming experience cannot be employed specifically under the Unemployment Relief Programme to work year round on farms on State land. Persons with no previous experience in farming can be trained. Two conditions, however, should be attached, with one being that they live in relative close proximity to the farms and the other that quotas should be set.  Additionally, any such URP farm labour should be on contract. The irony of the higher prices being demanded by overseas producers for their rice supplies is that one of the principal factors provoking the sharp increases would have been the swollen fuel costs farmers have been required to meet following on this year’s continuous rise in  international prices for crude.

Earlier this week crude stood just a shade below US$50 a barrel. This means that  the farmers are importing inflationary pressures on the cost of their production, and Trinidad and Tobago a petroleum and natural gas exporting country is,  in turn, importing the inflation triggered by the very high crude prices the country enjoys. Meanwhile, the way to reduce and then stabilise prices for root crops in Trinidad and Tobago lies in expanded production which would provide domestic farmers with a mini boom, and to increase imports from neighbouring Caricom countries. Merely grumbling about the 25 percent increase in the price of rice will not help.  Greater agricultural production, however, will, with the bonus of additional jobs.