Analysis of Agricultural Policies in Trinidad and Tobago
Date issued
Jan 2018
Subject
Agricultural Policy;
Agriculture and Food Security;
Agriculture Support
JEL code
Q01 - Sustainable Development;
Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets;
Q13 - Agricultural Markets and Marketing • Cooperatives • Agribusiness;
Q17 - Agriculture in International Trade;
Q18 - Agricultural Policy • Food Policy
Country
Trinidad and Tobago
Category
Monographs
Although the agricultural sector contributes only 0.5% to Trinidad and Tobago’s GDP, it accounts for over 4% of employment and is important for the diversification of the economy. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago supports agriculture through a combination of incentives to agricultural producers, support for research and infrastructure, and border protection measures. Support to producers averaged 22.4% of gross farm receipts in 2013-2015, and a significant share of that support (44%) was provided in the form of transfers to general services. At the same time, total transfers arising from agricultural policy amounted to only 0.34% of the national GDP. Reorienting agricultural policy towards goals and actions that are less production-distorting, and that address agricultural productivity and profitability, will help create a possibly small, but efficient agricultural sector, as well as exploit certain specific competitive advantages.
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