Poultry producers, Arawak and Company will receive a licence to operate 141 acres of land on the outskirts of San Fernando, reports Trinidad Express. The land forms part of the Picton Estate on Caroni (1975) Limited estate.

Two Brothers Corporation of Guyana will receive a licence to operate 100 acres at Caroni while Caribbean Chemicals will receive 115 acres at Edinburgh, Chaguanas and Technologies Farms Limited 100 acres at Orange Grove, Tacarigua.

Co-ordinator of the large farms project at the Ministry, Anthony Bartholomew said the provisional licences will allow the new owners access to the land.

"They will now be able to apply for approvals from the Town and Country Planning, the Environmental Management Authority and other government agencies to operate their mega farms," he said.

Mr Bartholomew said the licences will later be replaced by agricultural leases and would help the new owners in the layout and plans for the farm sites.

Six mega farm sites have been developed with 13 plots available, Chief Executive Officer at Rural Development, Caroni Tajelal Sarwan said.

He earlier reported that infrastructural work on the 100-acre farm at Edinburgh was 85 per cent complete while another 100 acres at Orange Grove was complete except for electricity.

"Both parcels are now ready," he said yesterday.

Of the five farm sites at Picton estate only one was ready. Developmental works are continuing at other parcels at Warren Road (100 acres), Jerningham Junction, off Marchin Road (100 acres) and two sites at La Gloria.

Arawak Marketing Manager, Robin Phillip, said that the provisional licence will enable the company to move ahead with plans to produce broiler hatching eggs, beef cattle and sheep as the dry season begins next month. He said that the production of commercial broiler hatching eggs was the primary project and the company had not produced hatching eggs for the past 10 years.

Mr Phillip said the acreage would be divided into poultry, sheep and cattle production.

PCS Nitrogen's model farm will be formally opened within the next two weeks.

Officials at the company said that phase one of the project was completed and a formal launch will be held soon for public viewing.

The mega and model farms form part of Government's initiative to expand agricultural production. Another large farm at Tucker Valley is already under cultivation and comprises 200 acres, adds Trinidad Express.