The Ministry of Agriculture is making major efforts to ramp up food production locally.

This is in light of the ten percent baseline tariff announced by US President Donald Trump, to take effect at United States Seaports, Airports and customs warehouses.

Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar says in order to mitigate the impact of the new tariff regime, food must always be available, affordable and accessible to the population.

"One sure way of insuring that we are not negatively impacted by the changes which are taking place globally is to produce more food within our borders. Over the upcoming days and weeks, we are going to see an increase in the activities by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour as it pertains to our quest to improve, to increase the production of food in our country."

Minister Caesar says efforts are underway to carry out renovations at various Buying Depots to improve efficiency of the food supply chain.

"Contractors have been assigned to the depots in Lauders, Langley Park in La Croix and we are going to work with a contractor on the leeward side for repair works to be done to the Belmont facility. This is to ensure that our Farmers, that they have an opportunity and an avenue to be able to bring the produce, the produce will be collected, sorted, Farmers will be paid, and we will be able to distribute this food to stakeholders in the supply chain."

SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)