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Showing posts with label agriculture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agriculture. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
President General Nirvan Maharaj Listens to Contractors .
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| President General Nirvan Maharaj Listens to Contractors .
ATGWTU, the OWTU and MSJ have joined the contractors' meeting at Felicity. Independent Liberal Party (ILP) Political Leader Jack Warner met on Wednesday night with contractors of the URP Agriculture Now Programme who are having difficulty in being paid for work done for the government during the height of the Chaguanas West and Local Government Elections.
The meeting is scheduled for 7pm (Wednesday, February 26, 2014) at the Felicity Community Centre, Maha Sabha Street, Felicity, adjacent to the Invaders Recreation Ground. Other stakeholders are also invited to attend the meeting.
The contractors had held a peaceful demonstration at the Invaders Ground on Sunday morning 23rd February to protest government's refusal thus far to pay them.
Fifty-nine contractors are owed a total of $116 million for 289 infrastructure projects that included flood mitigation works, access road development and excavation of irrigation ponds between June and September 2013.
Over the past several months the contractors have been given a run around for their money by the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Food Production and Office of the Prime Minister.
Mr Warner, who met briefly with the contractors (Sunday) during the demonstration, has been asked to intervene in the matter.
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Saturday, June 22, 2013
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Indarsingh: I told you so !
BY ADRIAN BOODAN
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-03-28/business1.html
RUDY INDARSINGH, the president of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union (ATSGWTU), yesterday said his union had predicted the move to shut down the sugar industry since the closure of Caroni (1975) Limited in 2003.
He was responding to reports that Prime Minister patrick Manning told sugar cane farmers yesterday that this is the last year the Government would buy their canes, in effect shutting down the remnants of the country’s sugar industry.
Indarsingh said although came farming is family oriented, cane farmers have employed workers and other industries depend on cane farming.
He said, “6000 farmers may now be forced to find a new source of livelihood and this will impact on the people they employ and also the informal economy involved in the industry will suffer. Further to this unemployment would strike the cane haulage contractors.”
Referring to reports that the canefarmers themselves had suggested to the Prime Minister the closure of the industry, Indarsingh said, “I do not know if the position adopted by the cane farming community is designed to appease the government or embrace the PNM policy of inaction or continued discrimination towards the stakeholders.”
Indarsingh claimed the Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited (SMCL), the entity formed after the closure of Caroni, has proven to be failure because it was run by misfits.
Indarsingh charged the government may well be closing down the industry to pump funds into floating Cepep as a political arm of the PNM.
Indarsingh said yesterday’s move vindicated the position that the union took when it attempted to inform the national community and all its stakeholders in 2003 that the
government's policy was to close down the industry and not to pursue any strategy that was designed to ensure its growth and development.
He recalled that the Government told the national community when it established the SMCL that it would lead to an industry size of 75,000 tonnes of sugar a year and an expaned cane farming sector.
Indarsingh said, “Since then the government has not put in place any policies or strategies that facilitated the growth and expansion of the cane farming sector; the cane farming community was to bear the cost of the rural access road and agro chemicals and of course the management of SMCL and the board of the SMCL knew nothing about running a sugar mill or factory and as a result of this was in no position to improve the output at the factory.
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-03-28/business1.html
RUDY INDARSINGH, the president of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union (ATSGWTU), yesterday said his union had predicted the move to shut down the sugar industry since the closure of Caroni (1975) Limited in 2003.
He was responding to reports that Prime Minister patrick Manning told sugar cane farmers yesterday that this is the last year the Government would buy their canes, in effect shutting down the remnants of the country’s sugar industry.
Indarsingh said although came farming is family oriented, cane farmers have employed workers and other industries depend on cane farming.
He said, “6000 farmers may now be forced to find a new source of livelihood and this will impact on the people they employ and also the informal economy involved in the industry will suffer. Further to this unemployment would strike the cane haulage contractors.”
Referring to reports that the canefarmers themselves had suggested to the Prime Minister the closure of the industry, Indarsingh said, “I do not know if the position adopted by the cane farming community is designed to appease the government or embrace the PNM policy of inaction or continued discrimination towards the stakeholders.”
Indarsingh claimed the Sugar Manufacturing Company Limited (SMCL), the entity formed after the closure of Caroni, has proven to be failure because it was run by misfits.
Indarsingh charged the government may well be closing down the industry to pump funds into floating Cepep as a political arm of the PNM.
Indarsingh said yesterday’s move vindicated the position that the union took when it attempted to inform the national community and all its stakeholders in 2003 that the
government's policy was to close down the industry and not to pursue any strategy that was designed to ensure its growth and development.
He recalled that the Government told the national community when it established the SMCL that it would lead to an industry size of 75,000 tonnes of sugar a year and an expaned cane farming sector.
Indarsingh said, “Since then the government has not put in place any policies or strategies that facilitated the growth and expansion of the cane farming sector; the cane farming community was to bear the cost of the rural access road and agro chemicals and of course the management of SMCL and the board of the SMCL knew nothing about running a sugar mill or factory and as a result of this was in no position to improve the output at the factory.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Narine promises probe into feeds centre accident
By Adrian Boodan
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-10-12/news9.html
Minister of Agriculture Jarrette Narine has promised a full investigation into Tuesday’s accident in which a worker lost a leg at the Sugarcane Feeds Centre (SFC).
Tadil Hosein, of Main Road, Longdenville, was operating foraging equipment at the Pokhor Road, Longdenville, operations of the SFC when his leg got into the blades of the machine.
He was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre and subsequently transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mount Hope, where he underwent surgery on Tuesday night.
Following the mishap, the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers’ Trade Union (ATSGWTU), the body representing the 75 SFC employees, instructed union members to stop work until health and safety requirements at the centre were met.
Operations at the SFC were shut down yesterday, when representatives of the ATSGWTU met with Narine at the compound.
Rudy Indarsingh, head of the union, said the ATSGWTU would also be launching its own investigation into the mishap.
Indarsingh said Narine agreed to step up health and safety measures at the 30-year-old research facility and to look into the immediate appointment of a human resource officer to fill a post which has been vacant since the first quarter of this year.
Indarsingh said Hosein and his family would also be receiving counselling while the ATSGWTU would be calling on the SFC to pay his medical bills, as well as the cost of his rehabilitation.
Indarsingh said the union has proposed that the victim be fitted with an artificial limb.
As to the SFC’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Indarsingh said the ATSGWTU would not try to stop the activity at the SFC since the union is all about promoting the growth of T&T’s agricultural sector.
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-10-12/news9.html
Minister of Agriculture Jarrette Narine has promised a full investigation into Tuesday’s accident in which a worker lost a leg at the Sugarcane Feeds Centre (SFC).
Tadil Hosein, of Main Road, Longdenville, was operating foraging equipment at the Pokhor Road, Longdenville, operations of the SFC when his leg got into the blades of the machine.
He was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre and subsequently transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mount Hope, where he underwent surgery on Tuesday night.
Following the mishap, the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers’ Trade Union (ATSGWTU), the body representing the 75 SFC employees, instructed union members to stop work until health and safety requirements at the centre were met.
Operations at the SFC were shut down yesterday, when representatives of the ATSGWTU met with Narine at the compound.
Rudy Indarsingh, head of the union, said the ATSGWTU would also be launching its own investigation into the mishap.
Indarsingh said Narine agreed to step up health and safety measures at the 30-year-old research facility and to look into the immediate appointment of a human resource officer to fill a post which has been vacant since the first quarter of this year.
Indarsingh said Hosein and his family would also be receiving counselling while the ATSGWTU would be calling on the SFC to pay his medical bills, as well as the cost of his rehabilitation.
Indarsingh said the union has proposed that the victim be fitted with an artificial limb.
As to the SFC’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Indarsingh said the ATSGWTU would not try to stop the activity at the SFC since the union is all about promoting the growth of T&T’s agricultural sector.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Heavy rains delay sugar crop
By Leah Mathura-Dookhoo
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-01-17/business3.html
The sugar cane season, which was supposed to begin yesterday, has been put on hold for another week, owing to bad weather and floods over the past month.
Yesterday, CEO of the Sugar Manufacturing Company Ltd (SMCL) Andre Guyadeen said the situation is worse than in years past, as fields are now saturated with water.
Guyadeen said while next Monday has been set for the start of the crop season by the SMCL, officials from the Sugar Industry Team (SIT) are monitoring the situation.
“This weather had caused us a lot of losses, but we are hoping we will make up for it in April,” Guyadeen said.
He refused to state the monetary extent of those losses.
Guyadeen said staffers, farmers and contractors were gearing up for a bumper season yesterday morning, however the heavy floods in central and south Trinidad lead to the postponement.
“The ground could take no more water. We are hopeful that things will get better next week,” he said.
Public relations officer of the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers Association (TICFA) Lallan Rajaram, said yesterday that he too was disappointed over the delay in the start of the crop as farmers were the ones losing out financially.
Rajaram explained that even though the season did not start on its stipulated date, transport contractors and SMCL employees were protected by a guarantee agreement which will see them receive their monthly salaries.
But this is not the same for farmers.
“The last time a farmer got a cheque from SMCL was in August. With that money he had to take care of this family, his crop and his equipment. So, you see the problems they are in,” Rajaram said.
“Cane farmers have been waiting for the longest while for the start of the season, now with changing weather patterns they have to wait longer. The whole thing about sugar is that it needs dry weather.”
Rajaram remains doubtful that the season will begin in the next two weeks.
He said it was because of this TICFA submitted a written proposal to Agriculture Minister Jarrette Narine on Wednesday calling for an increase in the price of cane per tonne.
He said this was done in an effort to assist farmers who have suffered great losses since the beginning of the year.
But, Rajaram said when the issue was brought up during a meeting on Friday with SIT led by Wayne Innis, his members were told that they were not aware that a proposal had been handed in for an increase in the price of cane.
Rajaram said while SMCL’s target for the year is 600,000 tonnes of canes which will produce 60,000 tonnes of sugar, he is doubtful that it will materialise.
“We have never reached that goal and with all the problems we’re having I don’t think it will happen.”
Realistically, he said, for 2006, farmers can produce 45,000 tonnes of sugar from 450,000 tonnes of cane.
At present, cane farmers receive $180 per tonne for canes sold to the SMCL. They are now calling for $218.
Meanwhile, president general of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, (ATSGWTU), Rudranath Indarsingh said the failure of the crop to begin came as no surprise, since the industry is run by a group of energy experts who have no background in agriculture.
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-01-17/business3.html
The sugar cane season, which was supposed to begin yesterday, has been put on hold for another week, owing to bad weather and floods over the past month.
Yesterday, CEO of the Sugar Manufacturing Company Ltd (SMCL) Andre Guyadeen said the situation is worse than in years past, as fields are now saturated with water.
Guyadeen said while next Monday has been set for the start of the crop season by the SMCL, officials from the Sugar Industry Team (SIT) are monitoring the situation.
“This weather had caused us a lot of losses, but we are hoping we will make up for it in April,” Guyadeen said.
He refused to state the monetary extent of those losses.
Guyadeen said staffers, farmers and contractors were gearing up for a bumper season yesterday morning, however the heavy floods in central and south Trinidad lead to the postponement.
“The ground could take no more water. We are hopeful that things will get better next week,” he said.
Public relations officer of the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers Association (TICFA) Lallan Rajaram, said yesterday that he too was disappointed over the delay in the start of the crop as farmers were the ones losing out financially.
Rajaram explained that even though the season did not start on its stipulated date, transport contractors and SMCL employees were protected by a guarantee agreement which will see them receive their monthly salaries.
But this is not the same for farmers.
“The last time a farmer got a cheque from SMCL was in August. With that money he had to take care of this family, his crop and his equipment. So, you see the problems they are in,” Rajaram said.
“Cane farmers have been waiting for the longest while for the start of the season, now with changing weather patterns they have to wait longer. The whole thing about sugar is that it needs dry weather.”
Rajaram remains doubtful that the season will begin in the next two weeks.
He said it was because of this TICFA submitted a written proposal to Agriculture Minister Jarrette Narine on Wednesday calling for an increase in the price of cane per tonne.
He said this was done in an effort to assist farmers who have suffered great losses since the beginning of the year.
But, Rajaram said when the issue was brought up during a meeting on Friday with SIT led by Wayne Innis, his members were told that they were not aware that a proposal had been handed in for an increase in the price of cane.
Rajaram said while SMCL’s target for the year is 600,000 tonnes of canes which will produce 60,000 tonnes of sugar, he is doubtful that it will materialise.
“We have never reached that goal and with all the problems we’re having I don’t think it will happen.”
Realistically, he said, for 2006, farmers can produce 45,000 tonnes of sugar from 450,000 tonnes of cane.
At present, cane farmers receive $180 per tonne for canes sold to the SMCL. They are now calling for $218.
Meanwhile, president general of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, (ATSGWTU), Rudranath Indarsingh said the failure of the crop to begin came as no surprise, since the industry is run by a group of energy experts who have no background in agriculture.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Sugar union: No shortage of cane cutters
By Yvonne Webb
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2005-01-11/business2.html
The All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers’ Trade union has contradicted Government’s assertion that there is a shortage of cane cutters.
At the last post-Cabinet media briefing, acting Agriculture Minister John Rahael said they were considering importing cane cutters from Guyana because of a shortage locally.
He said he was told by the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers’ Association that their cane was not being harvested even though they were paying cane cutters $150 a day.
ATSGWTU president general Rudranath Indarsingh also said statements by Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, that former sugar workers had moved on and unemployment was down, were inaccurate.
Indarsingh said: “There is no shortage of cane cutters. It is a straight case of the former sugar workers not being willing to commit themselves to the sugar industry because of the dehumanising and Cepep-like conditions under which they are being asked to perform work for private contractors and cane farmers.”
He said Government did not understand the reality as it related to the current status of the sugar industry and the unemployment figures in central and south Trinidad as a result.
“Minister Rahael must understand that the industrial relations terrorism started out in 2003 with the closure of Caroni (1975) Ltd and continues to exist because none of the cane farming associations can provide or facilitate decent conditions of work, which are articulated by the International Labour Organisation,” the trade unionist said.
“The reality is that persons have not moved on or gained what is recognised by the ILO as sustainable employment, because ex-sugar workers have not been able to gain employment which pays wages above the levels of the minimum wages order and unionised terms and conditions of employment,” he added.
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2005-01-11/business2.html
The All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers’ Trade union has contradicted Government’s assertion that there is a shortage of cane cutters.
At the last post-Cabinet media briefing, acting Agriculture Minister John Rahael said they were considering importing cane cutters from Guyana because of a shortage locally.
He said he was told by the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers’ Association that their cane was not being harvested even though they were paying cane cutters $150 a day.
ATSGWTU president general Rudranath Indarsingh also said statements by Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, that former sugar workers had moved on and unemployment was down, were inaccurate.
Indarsingh said: “There is no shortage of cane cutters. It is a straight case of the former sugar workers not being willing to commit themselves to the sugar industry because of the dehumanising and Cepep-like conditions under which they are being asked to perform work for private contractors and cane farmers.”
He said Government did not understand the reality as it related to the current status of the sugar industry and the unemployment figures in central and south Trinidad as a result.
“Minister Rahael must understand that the industrial relations terrorism started out in 2003 with the closure of Caroni (1975) Ltd and continues to exist because none of the cane farming associations can provide or facilitate decent conditions of work, which are articulated by the International Labour Organisation,” the trade unionist said.
“The reality is that persons have not moved on or gained what is recognised by the ILO as sustainable employment, because ex-sugar workers have not been able to gain employment which pays wages above the levels of the minimum wages order and unionised terms and conditions of employment,” he added.
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Clear air on Caroni lands - Indarsingh
By Yvonne Webb
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2003-05-27/news6.html
The All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union yesterday issued a call to Government to clear the air on who gave permission to millionaire Pastor Vishnu Lutchmansingh to occupy Caroni (1975) lands, in contravention of a High Court injunction.
At the same time, President General of the Union, Rudy Indarsingh, said Government must publicly declare what is its general plan for the 77,000 acres of Caroni’s land.
At a news conference held at the Union’s Rienzi Complex headquarters, Indarsingh said that since February 17, 2003, ATSGWTU had been granted an interim injunction by the High Court, preventing Caroni from disposing of any assets, except its stock in trade.
“Recent developments seem to indicate that this order, which was handed down by the High Court, has been violated at Chin Chin Junction, Cunupia,” Indarsingh said, adding that Government is bent on giving away Caroni lands to its friends and financiers.
“Because, here it is we have an individual, Pastor Lutchmansingh, who is supposed to be a law-abiding citizen, apparently violating an order of the court and also implicating the Prime Minister as having given him permission to go on the lands of Caroni.”
Indarsingh questioned the role of the Estate Management Business Development Company, created to manage the lands of Caroni, in terms of facilitating the process alluded to by Lutchmansingh.
Lutchmansingh is reported as saying that Prime Minister Patrick Manning gave him permission to occupy the land, which he purchased from businessman Junior Gopaul. Caroni has contested the claim, serving the pastor with a notice to desist from trespassing on its land.
“The union is concerned about what will become of the most valuable asset of Caroni, which is its 77,000 acres of land,” Indarsingh said.
He noted that earlier this year, Caroni had to move in on trespassers in an area near the Learning Resource Centre and reclaim its land.
At present, he said, 11 acres of Caroni lands are being graded at La Fortune, Woodland, in field number BV 50, for the construction of an asphalt mixing facility.
He said this is a total deviation from Government’s thrust, as enunciated by Agriculture Minister John Rahael earlier this year, that the most valuable assets of the company, its prime agriculture land, must be retained for this purpose.
http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2003-05-27/news6.html
The All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union yesterday issued a call to Government to clear the air on who gave permission to millionaire Pastor Vishnu Lutchmansingh to occupy Caroni (1975) lands, in contravention of a High Court injunction.
At the same time, President General of the Union, Rudy Indarsingh, said Government must publicly declare what is its general plan for the 77,000 acres of Caroni’s land.
At a news conference held at the Union’s Rienzi Complex headquarters, Indarsingh said that since February 17, 2003, ATSGWTU had been granted an interim injunction by the High Court, preventing Caroni from disposing of any assets, except its stock in trade.
“Recent developments seem to indicate that this order, which was handed down by the High Court, has been violated at Chin Chin Junction, Cunupia,” Indarsingh said, adding that Government is bent on giving away Caroni lands to its friends and financiers.
“Because, here it is we have an individual, Pastor Lutchmansingh, who is supposed to be a law-abiding citizen, apparently violating an order of the court and also implicating the Prime Minister as having given him permission to go on the lands of Caroni.”
Indarsingh questioned the role of the Estate Management Business Development Company, created to manage the lands of Caroni, in terms of facilitating the process alluded to by Lutchmansingh.
Lutchmansingh is reported as saying that Prime Minister Patrick Manning gave him permission to occupy the land, which he purchased from businessman Junior Gopaul. Caroni has contested the claim, serving the pastor with a notice to desist from trespassing on its land.
“The union is concerned about what will become of the most valuable asset of Caroni, which is its 77,000 acres of land,” Indarsingh said.
He noted that earlier this year, Caroni had to move in on trespassers in an area near the Learning Resource Centre and reclaim its land.
At present, he said, 11 acres of Caroni lands are being graded at La Fortune, Woodland, in field number BV 50, for the construction of an asphalt mixing facility.
He said this is a total deviation from Government’s thrust, as enunciated by Agriculture Minister John Rahael earlier this year, that the most valuable assets of the company, its prime agriculture land, must be retained for this purpose.
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