Caroni 1975 Ltd. workers were promised, as part of the Voluntary Separation Package, two acres of land. This decision, which applied to 7,145 former employees, resulted in 14,290 acres of becoming available for food production. This potentially can impact positively on the national food security.

To date more than 5,000 workers have been allocated their two-acre parcels. These parcels are allocated in 17 locations across the country. Activities to bring these lands into cultivation and crop production have commenced in areas such as, Caroni , Jerningham Junction, Orange Grove, Cedar Hill, La Fortune, La Gloria, Petit Morne and Reform. Currently, the largest area under active production is Jerningham Junction with close to one hundred acres under production.

NAMDEVCO and the other public and private sector agencies have a responsibility to ensure that the former employees are supported in their transition into agri-entrepreneurs. To this end, NAMDEVCO and Caroni 1975 Ltd hosted a one-day seminar at the Club Sevilla, Brechin Castle , Couva. The objective of the seminar was to sensitize the former employees to the services of the public and private sector agencies that will guarantee them success in becoming agri-entrepreneurs.

The service providers present spanned the range from financing, production, marketing and value added. They included the Trinidad and Tobago Agribusiness Association; Trinidad and Tobago Exporters Association; Hilo Supermarket and its fresh producer SMJ Limited; Suppliers of Seedlings; Ministry of Agriculture Land and Marine Resources, National Agro Chemicals Ltd.; Agricultural Development Bank; and the Cunupia Farmers’ Association. At the seminar these service providers demonstrated that by accessing the various support provided the former employees could become successful agri-entrepreneurs.

Some of the concerns of the participants included the fact that in most cases recipients of the land do not have leases. Some reported that they still cannot access the lands as roads and bridges need to be constructed. Water for production in the dry season was a concern to many. Since many live significant distances away from their allocated plots praedial larceny is a major concern. Some expected that marketing would also be a problem. The meeting concluded that the service providers would continue to work with these former employees to ensure transition to becoming successful farmers.