Secretary of the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment Kwesi Des Vignes said the Division is pushing for more agricultural development within the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP).

“We have several training sessions set up including cassava industry development, cassava agrimony, pest and diseases and so on as we look to ramp up our production in that area,” he said, adding “URP is now in the process of laying the foundation to begin exporting agriculture produce from Tobago. So we’re looking for URP to now start earning foreign exchange for Tobago.”

The exporting of papaya and hot pepper will be aimed toward the United Kingdom, and possibly markets within the United States.

He said the Division hoped that “persons in the programme recognized the opportunities in the agricultural sector.”

“We’re also ramping up our concrete and furniture workshop sections. At the Tobago Day Expo recently, there was an overwhelming response for the concrete products from URP.”

The Secretary said some products sold out on the first day due to competitive pricing.

“We want to make sure that we maximize on the returns from the concrete programme,” he said.