Trinidad & Tobago 
The twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the leading producer of oil and gas in the Caribbean. As a result, the agricultural sector is small by comparison but is still regarded as a socially and commercially important sector, as it accounts for use of some 16.7% of the land area. While the contribution of the agricultural sector to the GDP of the country is less than 1%, it contributes 5% to total employment, and is particularly beneficial to those living in rural communities.
A national economic policy and strategy has been conceptualised which places greater emphasis on the growth of the non-oil foreign exchange earnings and relatively labour-intensive sectors of the economy, such as tourism, agriculture, agro-processing, and financial services.
Action Plan for Agriculture
The National Food production Action Plan 2012-2015 was developed out of this strategy and aims to:
- reduce the food import bill
- reduce food price inflation
- create sustainable, long term productive employment
- contribute to the diversification of the economy; and increase the country’s food security
Staples selected to be developed under the food security component of the plan were:
- Rice
- Dasheen
- Cassava
- Eddoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Breadfruit
Vegetables earmarked to be grown to support the domestic market were:
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Peppers
- Pak Choi
- Lettuce
- Melongene
The plan also seeks to encourage the growth of legumes and pulses like:
- Black Eye Peas
- String Beans
- Pigeon Peas
- Bodi (long beans)
- Seim (Dolichos lablab)
It also focuses on producing a year-round supply of fruits like:
- Citrus
- Sucrier
- banana
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Dwarf Pommecythere (golden apple)
- Papaya (Pawpaw)
- Avocado
- Watermelon
- Banana/Plantain
- Coconuts for water
Livestock/ Aquaculture
The strategic plan in this area is to increase the levels of pork and poultry production as well as fish stock.
The 2012 – 2015 Action Plan outlines several challenges to the development of the sector including:
- an inconsistent supply of vegetables during the year
- inconsistent quality of vegetables
- misuse of pesticides
As a result, a number of strategies have been developed to address these challenges. They include: the development of technology and infrastructure for post-harvest storage and the handling of produce; developing and encouraging farmers to use protected production systems; improving the system of farm certification; and, working with the Ministry of Health to develop the capability of pesticide testing of plant produce for consumption.
