BASED ON the present state of the T&T economy, the newly elected Government is heavily focused on economic revitalisation measures. Bearing testimony to this is the Prime Minister’s cutback initiatives and the Energy Minister’s mandate to hastily seek out potential gas fields in the region of our neighbouring Caribbean allies, like Grenada, Guyana and Suriname.
Diversification is also now, more than ever, an essential component if T&T’s present economic status is to be reversed sooner than later. It is in this context that the Government must also quickly find a remedy to decrease the national food import bill, which is in the vicinity of $7 billion per annum. One way this unsustainable phenomenon may be rectified is if nationals had a new, practical and affordable local meat source.
The good news is that back in October 2025, The UWI Faculty of Food and Agriculture (UFFA) championed the local capybara for production as a new meat source. Faculty officials are adamant that capybara meat is healthy since the animal is a herbivore. Positive feedback was also obtained from the public at a sampling event.
Reports indicated that capybaras are plentiful in this country, being found in deep vegetation near watercourses or rivers, ponds and swamps, often menacing farmers by eating their crops. They can grow to over four feet in length and weigh between 60 to 174 pounds, depending on gender. A healthy female can birth two to eight pups annually. So once managed in controlled environments, this animal can potentially provide a sustainable, additional food source for T&T.
If this initiative comes to fruition, this country’s meat importation—and food bill, by extension—can be decreased, but the significance of the decrease will depend on the citizenry’s acceptance of this exotic meat.
The UFFA must be commended for this project, in which successfully tempting the nation’s taste buds may be a challenging hurdle to surmount. While most of the population appear to be meat lovers, significant numbers of those are selective as to what kind of meat they consume. I dare say, most of us love chicken, with beef, duck, turkey, goat, lamb, fish and pork being less popular choices for a variety of reasons related to taste, price, health and religion. Arguably, the capybara appears to check all the boxes critical to being the preferred meat of the nation, as indicated below:
• Taste—As previously mentioned, a sampling or survey revealed that capybara meat tastes good. The assumption is that the samplers were a good reflection of the meat-eating population who would salivate over barbecued capybara ribs with their Sunday lunch. Those who may scoff at such a prospect are well advised to adopt a more eclectic palate consistent with a forever-changing world. You won’t know if you like it unless you try it. So, keep an open mind.
• Price—A new local meat entering the market should be affordable since it is introductory. Once consumer interest picks up, local production should increase, informing an import decrease, rendering more affordable meat prices in general.
• Health—It bears repeating: UFFA officials have confirmed that capybara meat is healthy by virtue of the animal being a herbivore. This high-protein meat is consumed and enjoyed in Central and South America. Sceptical folks may consult a Venezuelan friend or associate for confirmation, should you worry about becoming ill if you consume a capybara dinner.
• Religion—Unlike the forbidden aspect around beef and pork, religious meat-lovers in T&T should have the green light to devour capybara meat.
But as sagacious as the foregoing UWI project is, success can only be assured with shrewd marketing, planning and careful execution. Tilapia is a high-protein fish farmed or produced locally, yet it remains a rare commodity in groceries. Stakeholders should avoid the tilapia conundrum while pursuing the capybara initiative. The resurgence of the tilapia industry should also be promoted.
The UFFA could even expand their project with other practical local meat sources. What about the tasty rabbit and iguana?
Dexter Rigsby
Mt Lambert