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food based products. The service based area facilitates the rapid commercial production and marketing of value added agri-products. It specifically treats with the conversion of fresh produce into semi-processed raw materials which can be then sold to downstream buyers including food processors, restaurants and institutions such as the school Nutrition Company and hospitals. This industry also offers contract food processing services to new and existing local small and micro entrepreneurship firms, which are unable to establish existing demand or with good market potential.
The agro-processing industry is important to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago not only through the addition to productive capacity; but it also provides jobs through continued growth and expansion. In addition, the activities in this industry provide for:
– reduced imports of semi-processed raw material and strengthens our food manufacturing sector
– easier access to international markets and rapid growth of the agricultural and food sector
– easier entry into the food processing sector by low resource small and medium size enterprises
In this case study we will be looking at the Cottage Agro-processor
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1489769241455{background-color: #bfce37 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs color=”violet” active_section=”1″ title=”THE COTTAGE AGRO-PROCESSOR”][vc_tta_section title=”WHAT THEY DO” tab_id=”1489768048785-55685586-0dba”][vc_column_text]The cottage agro-processor is responsible for:
– Purchasing: sourcing and selection of materials at competitive prices, maintaining relationships with suppliers and purchasers as well as transporting raw materials from the supplier to the business place. This aspect of the job may be dependent upon demand and supply within the market and may be done on a weekly basis.
– Production: this involves washing, sorting, preparing for processing, actual processing, packaging and storage of the product. This function is carried out on a daily basis
– Quality assurance: this requires monitoring operations at all stages to ensure optimum quality, as well as quality control at the end of the processing cycle. This aspect of the job may vary and can be done either on a daily or weekly basis.
– Marketing: the cottage agro-processor advertises and promotes his products, securing markets for the product as well as distributing for sales. This job takes place on a weekly basis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”WORK ENVIRONMENT” tab_id=”1489768228512-8ba7aebd-cef6″][vc_column_text]The job of the cottage processor may vary and is dependent upon how they choose to run their business venture:
SUMMARY OF THE OCCUPATION
This skill area refers to the subset of manufacturing that processes raw materials and intermediate products derived from the agricultural sector. The agro-processing industry therefore entails transforming products originating from agriculture, forestry as well as fisheries. Broadly defined, the sector adds value to raw agricultural products and the value added can be broken down into three stages:- Primary value added stage – for example the packaging of raw fresh produce to be sold at supermarkets
- Processing/extraction stage – for example the extraction and packaging of juices
- Preparation of foods (minimal processing) – for example the making of jams and jellies
food based products. The service based area facilitates the rapid commercial production and marketing of value added agri-products. It specifically treats with the conversion of fresh produce into semi-processed raw materials which can be then sold to downstream buyers including food processors, restaurants and institutions such as the school Nutrition Company and hospitals. This industry also offers contract food processing services to new and existing local small and micro entrepreneurship firms, which are unable to establish existing demand or with good market potential.
The agro-processing industry is important to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago not only through the addition to productive capacity; but it also provides jobs through continued growth and expansion. In addition, the activities in this industry provide for:
– reduced imports of semi-processed raw material and strengthens our food manufacturing sector
– easier access to international markets and rapid growth of the agricultural and food sector
– easier entry into the food processing sector by low resource small and medium size enterprises
In this case study we will be looking at the Cottage Agro-processor
| OCCUPATION | SUMMARY | ENTRY LEVEL REQUIREMENTS | SALARY RANGE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage Agroprocessor | Sourcing and selection of materials at competitive prices, maintaining relationships with suppliers and purchasers as well as transporting raw materials from the supplier to the business place. | Self Taught Or Skills training at CARIRI or YTEPP Limited | 2,000 – 4,000 |
- He/she works for long hours in order to maximize output (this aspect of the work environment may vary among cottage agro-processors according to whether or not this is done solely or as a “side-line” entity).
- This is not an office type job, and may require them to from time to time be exposed to machinery with moving parts and to work outdoors, under humid conditions (this too is variable and would depend on the type of business enterprise which the agro-processor is specializing in).
- The cottage agro-processor must wear protective clothing as well as ensure that his equipment is safe.
- This job does not necessitate him being on call on a twenty-four hour a day basis however, the job may become very hectic and at time fast paced.
- He/she may also come into contact with toxic as well as flammable substances such as chemicals and fertilizers which are used to either preserve or assist in the growth of raw materials.