AGRO-PROCESSING FACILITY OPENS FOR BRAZIL VILLAGE FARMERS

(L-R) Gina Ramcharan, Environmental and Assurance Lead, Shell T&T; La Toya Gopaul, Digicel Foundation Director; Guy Small, Digicel Foundation Director; Alana Seemungal, Vice President, Brazil Village Farmers Group; The Hon. Foster Cummings, MP for La Horquetta/Talparo Constituency; Ruel Guerra, Executive Member of Brazil Village Farmers Group; Farook Hosein, PS in the Min. of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries; and Randell Patterson, President of the Brazil Village Farmers Group cut the ribbon to the new Agro Processing and Packaging Facility on Brazil Lome Trace on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

THU 22 FEB 2024: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – On Wednesday 21 February 2024, The Brazil Village Farmers Group opened its Agro-Processing and Packaging Facility at Brazil Lome Trace, Brazil Village. The initiative was made possible through an ‘Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities’ (EPIC) grant of TT$100,000 from the Digicel Foundation and Shell Trinidad and Tobago.

“We want farmers to be part of the national conversation and to help them improve their quality of life,” explained Randell Patterson, President of Brazil Village Farmers Group, which has a membership of approximately 50 farmers. The Group’s goal is to assist rural farmers in achieving a decent quality of life and to promote agriculture as a viable profession for youth in the community.

Mr. Farook Hosein, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (far right), and the Hon. Foster Cummings, MP for La Horquetta/Talparo Constituency (third on the right), join representatives from The Digicel Foundation, Shell Trinidad and Tobago and The Brazil Village Farmers Group to launch the new Agro Processing and Packaging Facility at Brazil Lome Trace on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

The new facility was established to process locally-grown, fresh produce into value-added products, providing processing, packaging and marketing services to farmers who were previously unable to access these services.

The EPIC funding was used to construct the building, including electrical, plumbing and drainage works, and to purchase necessary equipment and appliances such as a chiller, stainless steel tables and sinks, utensils, scales, PPE and Sealers. The Brazil Village Farmers Group contributed an additional TT$97,000 in cash to complete construction and to lead a series of sensitisation workshops and consultations with farmers.

Mr. Farook Hosein, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, listens intently to Maricia Patterson, Secretary of the Brazil Village Farmers Group, at the launch of the Brazil Village Farmers Group Agro-Processing and Packaging Facility, Brazil Lome Trace, on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

“The EPIC grant programme was designed to empower organisations to mobilise partnerships and transform their community spaces, and the Brazil Village Farmers Group has done this with extraordinary success. The calibre of management, accountability and transparency that this NGO partner has displayed is every funder’s dream,” shared Guy Small, Digicel Foundation Board Member, at the launch of the facility.

Randell Patterson, President of the Brazil Village Farmers Group, takes officials on a tour of the new Agro-Processing and Packaging Facility located at Brazil Lome Trace.

Gina Ramcharan, Environmental and Assurance Lead at Shell Trinidad and Tobago, echoed his enthusiasm for the project, stating that “This facility gives the farmers of Brazil Village the opportunity to not only improve their business models but to contribute in an even bigger way to the sustainable development of their community and the country.”

Stakeholders came together on Wednesday 21 February to celebrate the launch of the Brazil Village Farmers Group Agro-Processing Facility. From left: Maricia Patterson Secretary, Secretary of the Brazil Village Farmers' Group, Farouk Hosein, PS, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries; Nuyland Dwarika Communications Consultant, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization; and Randell Nigel Patterson, President Brazil Village Farmers' Group.

Mr. Farook Hosein, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, delivered special remarks at the launch, fully endorsing the initiative. He said, “The Brazil Village Farmers Group has demonstrated the impact of unity and strategic planning to achieve sustainable growth and unlock new opportunities for our farmers. The formation of associations like yours is a cornerstone in our collective efforts to enhance the agricultural landscape of our nation.”   

The Digicel Foundation launched EPIC in 2016 as a small grants initiative, and it has continuously grown in scale and impact since then. Through partnership with Shell Trinidad and Tobago, the 2023-2024 EPIC programme offered 10 community organisations an enhanced TT$100,000 grant to implement sustainable community initiatives in the areas of renewable energy, agriculture, and the environment.

ENDS

About Digicel

As a Digital Operator, Digicel is in the business of delivering powerful digital experiences 1440 minutes of each day to customers – that’s every minute, all day, every day.

Through its world-class LTE and fibre networks, together with its suite of eight apps spanning sports (SportsMax), music (D’Music), news (Loop), local radio and podcasts (GoLoud), TV streaming, (PlayGo) enhanced messaging and marketplaces (BiP), cloud storage (Billo) and self-care (MyDigicel app), Digicel is the only operator in its markets that can deliver the complete digital experience.

Serving consumer and business customers in 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America, and Pacific with investments of over US$7 billion and a commitment to communities in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, and Trinidad & Tobago, the Digicel Foundation has contributed to positive outcomes for over three million people to date.

With its Better Together brand, Digicel is promising “simply more” to its customers and communities as the company’s 7,000 employees worldwide work together to make this pledge a powerful reality day in, day out.

For more, visit www.digicelgroup.com 

About Shell Trinidad and Tobago 

Shell has been in Trinidad and Tobago for over 100 years and has played a major role in the development of its oil and gas industry. With operations in offshore and onshore blocks (both operated and non-operated) as well as a majority shareholding in Atlantic LNG, the sixth largest liquefaction facility in the world, Shell Trinidad and Tobago delivers an integrated gas operation to supply the petrochemical market and Atlantic LNG. 

Shell Trinidad and Tobago aims to create measurable, positive social impact at the community and national level, and contribute to the achievement of national priorities, through increasing access to education, skills and economic opportunities and improving access to energy.

Our social investment strategy seeks to contribute to economic diversification and livelihood development through Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STREAM) education, community skills and enterprise development, and community development.