The agriculture sector is not doing well

Dear Editor,

Agriculture is the nation’s most critical sector and its biggest foreign revenue earner. Mr Robert Persaud is the minister responsible for that portfolio. Since his advent to the position, the sector has gone from fiasco to fiasco without missing a step. From the Skeldon Sugar Factory debacle to the flood management disaster to Guysuco to the decline in production in major sectors to the current €6M loss of vital revenues during a global recession, the country’s main breadwinner sector has not demonstrated anything of substance, perhaps except shiny new machinery, lots of rhetoric, multitudinous photo opportunities, great appearances on camera, loads of money spent on talk and more talk, more talk of more talk and more talk of action and more action of more talk. The government needs to seriously reassess this portfolio and the shortcomings of this sector under Mr Persaud’s leadership. The loss of €6M is exactly the kind of thing for which other nations fire ministers, even quality ones.

Yours faithfully,
Michael Maxwell