Establishing a Profitable Coffee Industry in Trinidad and Tobago - Transforming Institutional Weaknesses into Opportunities for Agribusiness Development

Robusta coffee ready for harvest in Trinidad (December 2025)

1. Context and Problem Statement

The coffee industry in Trinidad and Tobago has historically remained underdeveloped despite favourable agro-climatic conditions, growing consumer demand, and niche export potential. Current production is limited and fragmented, with smallholder farmers operating independently using aged trees, traditional practices, and rudimentary processing systems.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MoA) faces long-standing institutional challenges, including: bureaucratic procedures, limited extension capacity, weak research-to-market linkages, and slow project implementation. Meanwhile, farmer organisations are often inactive or poorly governed, lacking the technical, managerial, and financial capacity to sustain or expand commercial operations.

Without reform, these institutional weaknesses will continue to constrain agricultural diversification and the achievement of any national target for dried coffee beans set per year within five years, that could be envisioned in redeveloping an agri-industrial strategy.

2. Policy Goal

To establish a profitable, export-ready, and locally integrated coffee industry through an institutional model that:

• Reduces dependency on government bureaucracy,

• Strengthens farmer organisations as viable agribusiness entities, and

• Attracts private investment for sustainable value-chain development.

3. Strategic Framework for Institutional Transformation

3.1 Changing the mandate of the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (CDCTTL).

The CDCTTL needs to change its mandate and focus from cocoa to also include coffee...rebranded as the Cocoa and Coffee Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (CCDCTTL). It should also transform its governance and operation to become a semi-autonomous, public–private entity  to coordinate and manage the commercial aspects of the cocoa and coffee industry.

Proposed Structure:

• Ownership: 40% Government (seed capital and policy oversight), 30% cooperative/farmer equity, 30% private investors and processors.

• Governance: professional Board chaired by a successful agribusiness specialist, not a civil servant.

• Legal form: incorporated company or statutory body with commercial flexibility.

Core Functions:

• Nursery management and supply of certified planting material.

• Coordination of extension, training, and quality certification.

• Operation or franchising of central wet and dry processing hubs.

• Aggregation, branding, marketing, and export of “T&T Coffee.”

• Channel for government and donor funding under performance-based mechanisms.

Rationale:
This arrangement separates commercial execution from ministerial bureaucracy, ensuring efficiency, accountability, and market responsiveness.

3.2 Strengthening Farmers through Business-Oriented Producer Groups

To overcome the inefficiencies of traditional farmer associations:

• Organize Producer Business Groups (PBGs) managing a minimum of 10–20 hectares each.

• Provide capacity-building and financial support linked to transparent governance, record keeping, agronomy and quality control.

• Bind PBGs to the CCDCTTL through supply contracts and technical service agreements.

• Introduce cooperative governance and entrepreneurship training through the Co-operative Division, IICA, FAO and UWI partners.

This approach transforms farmers from subsidy recipients into shareholders in a value chain with real commercial stakes.

3.3 Public–Private Financing and Market Incentives

A blended finance model should combine government grants, donor support, and private investment to fund nurseries, processing infrastructure, and marketing systems.

Mechanisms:

• Matching grants for community mills and solar dryers.

• Low-interest credit lines for cooperatives and processors.

• Performance-based subsidies linked to yield, quality, and market participation.

• Introduction of warehouse receipt systems and traceability financing, allowing farmers to use stored coffee as collateral.

3.4 Establishment of a Coffee Industry Council (CIC)

An overarching Coffee Industry Council should guide policy, standards, and long-term strategy. The establishment of this Council should be considered depending on the level of success after five years of implementation of concerted efforts to revitalise coffee production.
Composition: CCDCTTL, MoA, cooperatives, exporters, private roasters, and academia.
Mandate: policy advice, market intelligence, annual industry reporting, and coordination among actors.

This body will provide transparency, accountability, and a mechanism for stakeholder participation.

4. Implementation Roadmap

Phase	Timeline	Key Actions	Expected Outcomes
I. Foundation	Year 1–2	Establish NCDC; pilot Producer Business Groups; launch nurseries and training programs	Institutional setup complete; 20 ha rehabilitated or newly planted
II. Expansion	Year 2–4	Construct processing hubs; implement traceability and quality certification; secure private investment	Coordinated value chain; improved yields and post-harvest quality
III. Consolidation	Year 4–5	Scale up production; achieve 10 tonnes dried output; export-ready specialty coffee lots	Industry reaches commercial viability
IV. Maturity	Year 5+	Expand export partnerships; build brand recognition; reinvest profits into R&D and tourism linkages	Sustainable, globally recognized T&T coffee brand

5. Expected Impacts

Economic:

• Local substitution for imported roasted coffee (estimated import bill >TT$20 million annually).

• Export potential to specialty markets yielding premium prices (US$10–15/kg).

• New employment opportunities in nursery, processing, marketing, and agrotourism.

Institutional:

• Reduction of government’s operational burden through delegated management.

• Strengthened farmer groups with transparent, accountable governance.

• Attraction of private investment through credible, results-oriented institutions.

Social and Environmental:

• Rural income diversification and youth engagement in agribusiness.

• Promotion of sustainable agroforestry systems reducing soil erosion and enhancing biodiversity.

• National branding aligned with eco-tourism and “Made in T&T” marketing.

6. Policy Recommendations

1. Cabinet approval to reform the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited under a public–private partnership model, that includes coffee.

2. Budget allocation for seed capital (TT$5–10 million) and incentives for processing infrastructure.

3. Regulatory framework for coffee quality grading, certification, and export branding (“T&T Origin Seal”).

4. Institutional reform to enable contracting of extension and technical services.

5. Integration of the Coffee Industry Council into national agri-diversification and export strategies.

   
   

   

   Coffee picking in central Trinidad (December 2025)

   
   

   7. Conclusion

A profitable coffee industry in Trinidad and Tobago will not emerge from the existing Ministry or farmer institutions alone. It requires new hybrid governance and results-based partnerships; one that combines public policy leadership with private-sector efficiency and farmer ownership. 

The proposed model, anchored by a reformed development company, empowered producer business groups, and guided by a Coffee Industry Council, offers a practical pathway to build a profitable, resilient, and internationally competitive coffee industry in about five years.

With strategic public investment, sound management, and private-sector discipline, Trinidad and Tobago can re-establish coffee as a signature high-value crop, contributing to rural livelihoods, export earnings, and agricultural transformation.

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