Page 68 - PNM General Election 2020 Manifesto
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to making Agriculture in all its facets a tax-free UPSCALING PRODUCTION FOR DOMESTIC USE
industry.
The PNM will:
Following this bold initiative, we intend to
allocate $500M in Fiscal Years 2021-2022 to • Facilitate increased productivity levels and
stimulate and incentive all aspects of the sector, expansion of output across all commodities
to provide the confidence that is required for our
people to invest their time, effort and finances in • Provide the protective policy space for
the sector. domestic agriculture production expansion
This additional expenditure will be invested in all • Strengthen the domestic farm-to-market
required areas, such as: supply chain
• access roads, irrigation and drainage
systems
• subsidies and crop insurance
• land tenure, water and electricity supply
• ICT and mechanization
• wholesale and retail markets
• pest and disease control
• research and development
• financial support through grants and soft
loans for farmers
RECOVERY AND THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS:
AGRICULTURE In the short term, the PNM will give immediate
attention to boosting and supporting the
following areas of production:
• Poultry
EXPANDING THE FOOD Over the last 50 years, various policy frameworks, • Aquaculture
expenditure priorities, and development theories
SUPPLY AND AGRICULTURAL have challenged the agricultural sector and led to • Cocoa
• African Hill Rice/Upland Rice
EXPORTS declining, faltering, or inappropriate investments • Honey
in the sector.
Circumventing the challenges that have • Forestry
Agriculture is one of the riskiest endeavours This must change. threatened the food supply requires a
among economic activities in Trinidad and fundamental change in the way agriculture is REINVENTING AGRICULTURAL
Tobago, due to high and difficult-to-predict Post Covid-19, building resilience requires produced. In the short term, the immediate SYSTEMS AND PRODUCING
weather fluctuations, great fluctuation and insulating the economy against the impact of emphasis on the reduction of the food and
uncertainty in prices driven by unpredictable shortages and supply chain disruptions by having agriculture import bill and increasing export- DIFFERENTLY
market conditions, and the occurrence of often an adequate food supply. oriented growth will require focus on new areas.
sudden and dramatic natural shocks such as Over the medium to long term, a major shift to
those caused by plant and animal diseases and We are clear that there must be a resurgence and modern, technology-based farming is required to
pests. rebirth in agricultural production. To encourage achieve sustained growth and competitiveness in
investment, we have already committed in 2020 the sector.
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PNM THE RIGHT CHOICE ON AUGUST 10 People’s National Movement Manifesto 2020 PNM THE RIGHT CHOICE ON AUGUST 10 People’s National Movement Manifesto 2020
