CARIRI signs food and beverage MOU

The MOU was signed by CARIRI CEO Liaquat Ali Shah and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Edwina Leacock. It was witnessed by Ministry Industry Specialist Richard Ramsawak and CARIRI’s business services unit leader Megnath Gosein at the ministry’s office at Riverside Plaza, Port-of Spain.

Leacock said this was part of Government’s thrust to diversify and get into new sustainable sectors apart from the finite energy industry, the nation’s main financial resource.

The food and beverage industry was selected along with six other key, non-energy industry areas as they were aggressive in their development, have substantial resource bases and have potential for competitive advantage in the international trading environment.

The other industries are: fish and fish processing, music and entertainment, film, print and packaging, yachting and merchant marine.

Leacock stated that CARIRI was chosen to sign the memorandum with the ministry as, “it is CARIRI’s strength in these areas, CARIRI can in fact provide the level of expertise that we (Government) would want for certain projects.” According to Ali Shah, the first step to be taken in developing the industry is updating standards and legislation to improve food safety and quality and development of a bond between public and private food and beverage sectors.

Follow-up steps to be taken are development of increased level of market intelligence to increase export market opportunities, introduction of incentives linking primary production to value-added processing to maximise local/regional input into the value chain, increase of technical support for product and technological development to enhance international competitiveness and the establishment of a system of registration and mandatory certification of food importers, processors and distributers to improve food safety and quality.

This is expected to last for two years after which other agencies involved in the food and beverage industry would be expected to continue the industry’s development.

The local food and beverage industry is represented in the international arena by players such as SM Jaleel, Bermudez, National Canners, Bermudez Biscuit Company Limited, Chief Brand Products, Fernandes Distillers and KC Confectionary.

The companies expected to benefit from the efforts of CARIRI and the ministry are small scale enterprises among them juice processors, seasoning and condiment manufacturers and nuts and channa bottlers who function primarily within the local and regional marketplace.