Once again, the PNM is insulting the intelligence of the people with their last- minute election gimmicks. This time, it’s Stuart Young, who has been in the highest levels of Government since 2015, suddenly pretending to care about agriculture. But farmers and fisherfolk in this country are not so easily fooled.
The Member of Parliament for Couva North, Ravi Ratiram, has criticized Stuart Young’s recent promises on agricultural development and food security, as reported by TTT News on Friday, February 7, 2025. MP Ratiram questioned Young’s sudden interest in agriculture, highlighting his long history of failures across multiple ministries and dismissing his commitments as empty rhetoric.
“For nine years, Stuart Young has sat at the Cabinet table while farmers begged for assistance. He watched as they struggled with flooding, pests, praedial larceny, and lack of proper agricultural access roads. He remained silent as fisherfolk cried out for their long-promised fuel rebate. Grants and incentives have been held up for months, even years, while this Government has made it harder, not easier, for farmers to survive. And now, just before an election, we are supposed to believe he has the answers? Give me a break.”
MP Ratiram reminded citizens of Young’s disastrous track record in Government. “This is the same Stuart Young who was Minister of Energy when the Paria diving tragedy happened, the same man who did absolutely nothing to save those divers while their families pleaded for help.
The same Stuart Young who was Minister of National Security when our fishermen from Perseverance, Carli Bay, and Orange Valley were attacked at sea with five murdered, two never found and he did nothing!
Under his watch, thousands of murders were committed, and crime spiralled out of control. He failed in Energy. He failed in National Security. And now, he wants us to believe he will save agriculture? The only thing Stuart Young and this PNM Government are good at is failing the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”
The Couva North MP also raised concerns about the timing of the agro-grant distribution.
“Today, they are boasting about giving out grants to farmers. But where was this urgency all along? The reality is, this is just another election PR stunt, just like when they rushed to open incomplete fishing facilities in San Fernando and Grand Chemin. This is what the PNM does, starve the people for years, then try to buy their votes at the last minute. But the people are not stupid. They see through the deception.”
MP Ratiram made it clear that the Opposition UNC remains committed to real, long-term solutions for farmers and fisherfolk, not last-minute handouts.
“The PNM cannot fool us anymore. Our farmers and fisherfolk deserve better. They deserve a Government that respects them, listens to them, and delivers for them, not a Government that remembers them only when an election is around the corner.”
For media inquiries or further information, please contact MP Ravi Ratiram directly at 490-9395.
Ravi Ratiram
Member of Parliament
Couva North
