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Trinidad and Tobago is already reaping the rewards of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley's visit to Ghana, as the West African country recently presented the country with 10,000 yam seedlings.

According to Dr Rowley, the donation of yams would ideally contribute to improving local diets and lowering the country's billion-dollar food import cost.


However, he stated that this can only be done if citizens prioritize it over other imported goods.

Rowley stated yesterday at the Tucker Valley Shade House, Chaguaramas Agricultural Park, that the goal was to proliferate and promote the species across the farming community.

"We just got 10,000 units of planting material for four types of yams as a gift from Dr Mitchell at the Ghanian authorities, and we are now bringing those varieties into Trinidad and Tobago. I am really thrilled this morning to identify my office and myself with this project, since I believe it will have far-reaching implications for something we talk about a lot: lowering our food import expense," Rowley explained.

"If you ask anyone in this nation about food imports, they will tell you that we import much too much food and that we need to lower our food import cost. However, that goal can only be met in two ways: by producing more food locally and by consuming what we create.

"I believe that if we produce high-quality ground provisions here in Trinidad and Tobago and make it known to those who prepare meals, that we can have an impact as producers of those components," said the president.

While reflecting on his early years growing up in Tobago, in a community that grew and cultivated local produce, Rowley stated that in order for provision to become a part of our meals, individuals must embrace it and perceive it as an alternative to other imported items.

He stated, "While in Ghana, I was able to try a number of these white yams, which are smooth, soft, and delicious, and can replace the white potato that we import. You're aware that we import a lot of what you call 'Irish potatoes.' White potato from Canada. That is an important element of our diet in many ways.

"A lot of it can be replaced by yams, and the older ladies will tell you that just boiling the yam as part of the diet connected with stews and vegetables and so on was once a component of our diet that we had lost over time. So our goal is to bring excellent, healthful white yams back to the table in Trinidad and Tobago."


In addition to planting in Chaguaramas, he stated that yams had already been planted in Tobago's western region, and that yams will be planted in Mason Hall in two weeks.

The Prime Minister expressed optimism that by planting the yams in various sites around the country, the government will be able to determine which soils they thrive in. He stated that a choice would be made against this backdrop to determine which types to invest in and encourage local farmers to cultivate them.

I really want to see the yield of these yams in the T&T market, since we will only be able to introduce new types if we plant more, and we plant more intelligently. To replace those we've lost, we must strengthen our gene pool by introducing higher-quality genes evaluated in other nations. We test them here, do our own research, compile our own data, and choose our own variety. 

“So, when we do that, we can now encourage the farmers confidently to plant these varieties. And when we plant them, we could say to our national population, ‘Get to know these produce. They are healthy for you. They benefit the country.

"We want to cultivate what we eat, and we'd like you to consume what we grow. That is the only way that we can impact significantly on this food import bill—by having more food grown locally and we consume what we grow. These yams are now in our hands. As we grow them, we won’t have to spend any foreign exchange on them. All we need to do is want to consume them.

"So, let's look forward to the harvest and let's look forward to the main news that will come where slices of white yams obtained from Ghanian diets, from Ghanian fields, from our friends in Ghana, from the government and people of Ghana to the people of Trinidad and Tobago."

Stuart Young, Minister of Youth Development and National Service, Foster Cummings, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Kazim Hosein, and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Avinash Singh, were also in attendance.