The government’s plan to have CEPEP more involved in agriculture will have the effect of “supporting how people expand and invest more in agriculture,” said Marie Louise Norton-Murray, President of the European Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago.
Interviewed about initiatives EUROCHAMTT has embarked upon both in Trinidad and in Tobago, Norton-Murray said she was aware of concrete opportunities for investment in the agriculture sector but lamented that most investors were concerned about labour availability. “They ask where will they get labour,” she reports, adding that the challenge of labour could be solved by having CEPEP more involved in the sector.
Norton-Murray said was impressed with the CEPEP marine project and looked forward to its increased involvement in agriculture. Trinidad and Tobago should want to make agriculture more attractive, she added.
One of EUROCHAMTT projects in Tobago is the Good Foods Project which she described as “really positive” and for which initiatives were being developed at the small and micro enterprise level using the development fund from the European Union.
Said Norton-Murray: “We are getting really good results from this project.” She also noted that investors were specifically interested in cocoa sand tourism.
“We are aware of people looking for investment opportunities in Tobago in tourism, in cocoa and in other agriculture areas.” EUROCHAMTT has collaborated with the National Rehabilitation Watershed Reafforestation Programme (NRWRP) to train persons in the rehabilitation of Charlotteville Estates Cocoa plantations, creating an access trail, pruning old cocoa trees and starting a nursery.
“We have supplied them(workers) with health and safety gear. You have to change the culture and get them to wear it. When they get the gear they are smiling and happy. We are helping to upgrade agriculture,” she said of the Tobago project.
“We are looking at the issue of productivity. Having the tools and learning new skills, even through CEPEP, would help support investment.”
Norton-Murray is also advocating that the insurance industry take a look into the feasibility of medical insurance and life insurance for agriculture workers since it was another initiative was easy to implement.
Norton-Murray said was impressed with the CEPEP marine project and looked forward to its increased involvement in agriculture. Trinidad and Tobago should want to make agriculture more attractive, she added.
One of EUROCHAMTT projects in Tobago is the Good Foods Project which she described as “really positive” and for which initiatives were being developed at the small and micro enterprise level using the development fund from the European Union.
Said Norton-Murray: “We are getting really good results from this project.” She also noted that investors were specifically interested in cocoa sand tourism.
“We are aware of people looking for investment opportunities in Tobago in tourism, in cocoa and in other agriculture areas.” EUROCHAMTT has collaborated with the National Rehabilitation Watershed Reafforestation Programme (NRWRP) to train persons in the rehabilitation of Charlotteville Estates Cocoa plantations, creating an access trail, pruning old cocoa trees and starting a nursery.
“We have supplied them(workers) with health and safety gear. You have to change the culture and get them to wear it. When they get the gear they are smiling and happy. We are helping to upgrade agriculture,” she said of the Tobago project.
“We are looking at the issue of productivity. Having the tools and learning new skills, even through CEPEP, would help support investment.”
Norton-Murray is also advocating that the insurance industry take a look into the feasibility of medical insurance and life insurance for agriculture workers since it was another initiative was easy to implement.
Taken from Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
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