A compelling public letter from Fazir Khan of St Augustine has sounded an urgent alarm regarding Trinidad and Tobago’s substantial foreign exchange expenditures on poultry feed imports, calling for strategic regional collaboration with neighboring Guyana.
The communication highlights recent disclosures by Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo revealing that poultry-sector companies accessed over US$150 million in forex reserves between 2020 and mid-2025. This staggering investment in imported feedstock represents a significant drain on the nation’s limited foreign currency resources.
The analysis identifies a transformative opportunity emerging within the Caribbean Community. Guyana has achieved remarkable agricultural progress, cultivating approximately 12,000 acres of corn and soya in 2024 with ambitious expansion targets of 25,000-30,000 acres by 2025-2026. This development positions Guyana to achieve self-sufficiency in livestock feed while generating surplus grains for export to fellow Caricom nations.
The core argument questions whether Trinidad’s major poultry integrators, feed millers, agricultural experts, mechanical engineers, and relevant government agencies have initiated formal engagement with Guyanese authorities. Such collaboration could secure long-term supply arrangements for Guyanese corn and soya, potentially priced to gradually reduce Trinidad’s forex exposure.
Concurrently, the letter urges immediate assessment of Trinidad’s readiness for this regional transition, including evaluation of port facilities, storage capacity, handling capabilities, quality assurance protocols, and necessary legislative or contractual modifications to facilitate trade diversification from distant suppliers to a Caricom partner.
The conclusion emphasizes that meaningful forex conservation requires more than routine reassurances. It demands a coordinated regional strategy where both private sector and government entities collaborate to transform Guyana’s emerging agricultural production into a stable, cost-effective, intra-Caricom supply chain for poultry feed, ultimately reducing risk and enhancing regional food security.