Agriculture - room for growth

Date: Mon 16-Aug-1993
Paper Page: 22
Publication: Daily Nation

Making food and farming a development focus

Dr. Attlee Brathwaite, an agricultural management expert, has been head of the Barbados Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) for a number of years and was recently appointed by Government to head the corporation that will be responsible for plantations now heavily indebted to the Barbados National Bank. He recently addressed the 4-H Movement on Constraints And Required Actions in Local Agriculture. Following are some of his views on the topic.

IN A GROWTH as well as a food self-reliant oriented strategy, the inescapable conclusion is that food and agriculture should be made a focus of development.

At the macro level, this would require rectifying the anti-agriculture bias by putting greater development effort into agriculture by allocating a larger proportion of Government's budget to the sector and by removing the distortions in land tenure, pricing policy and income distribution.

At the micro level, it requires the formulation of integrated and commodity focused programmes and projects:

to increase productivity for selected commodities by seeking out superior varieties for improved yields and quality characteristics and testing them for local adaptability; designing a package of improved technologies that fit existing farming systems; providing credit, extension and farmer training on ways to utilise new technologies, improving productivity and quality; and improving soil and water management and conservation.
to improve marketing and agro-processing by implementing activities to better predict market quantities; improving product quality by establishing appropriate grades and improved packaging materials; reducing loss of perishables with better storage; and improving marketing intelligence for farmers and marketers. In terms of agro-processing, by developing a thorough market study for prospective processed product as well as rehabilitating the Barbados Agro-processing Company. Present plans to build a central abbattoir facility should be geared up.

1. The Macro-economic Context & Agricultural Policy.

Agriculture policy is obviously one of the crucial elements in an overall development strategy. But the success of food and agricultural policies and programmes depend very much on the overall macro-economic context in which such policies and programmes are being implemented. However well formulated, they would not be effective, if the macro-economic, environment and other related social sector policies are counter-balancing.

In view of this important link between macro-economic environment within which food and agricultural policies, it would be crucial to analyse carefully the macro-economic environment within which food and agricultural policies, together with other related policies are to be implemented.

2. Macro-economic policy should accord agriculture higher priority in terms of resource allocation.

3. Pricing policy is an important aspect of the agriculture and food production strategy which affects both consumers and producers.

It influences the level and commodity composition of production and this determines the balance between domestic food self-reliance and production for exports. Pricing policy must examine present movements toward trade liberation. In addition to prices of agricultural outputs, it must also take into account prices of inputs used in agricultural production and the relationship between input and output prices.

4. Sugar Production targets -- the level of production of sugar that should be aimed at in light of available land resources and market conditions should be established. For example, should 75 000 tons be provided to cover existing preferential market opportunities.

5. Land Use and Commodity Production Balance -- the acreage needed for sugar production, individual food crops or other crops in light of food self-reliant needs and export market potential and land use capabilities should be determined.

6. Anti-agricultural bias -- steps should be taken to rectify the manifestation of anti-agriculture bias, such as adverse relative prices and inadequate investments allocation. Public relations programmes should be developed to sensitise Barbadians, especially the youth on the importance of farming.

7. Institutional analysis -- should be undertaken of the agriculture sector and suitable institutions should be strengthened and the necessary administrative reform carried out to ensure the effective implementation of the agricultural diversification and development programmes.

8. Small holder and rural development policy for the agricultural sector should emphasise small-holder production. This would be implemented through an integrated policy of land reform and a programme of rural development. Increasing access of small farmers to productive assets would raise the overall efficiency of resource allocation as well as result in equitable economic development.

It is suggested that selected Government-owned plantations be sub-divided and

distributed and suitable private plantation which come on the market should be purchased and used for rural development and land reform projects.

9. Product diversification -- should be emphasised as an element of the diversification programme; development of agro-processing could enhance market prospects and job opportunities; other sugar cane products should be produced for commercial exploitation.

10. Land Use and Zoning -- Agricultural projects must take account of ecological diversity and limitations of the country. Zoning within the frame of a land use policy should be implemented, This would allow for the identification and prioritisation of specific locations with comparative advantages for the production of selected commodities for which market niches are identified. Land capability maps would be produced to facilitate land use planning.

11. The Scotland District must be seen as an area with certain peculiarities which require to be addressed within the frame of a regional development plan. Land conservation and optimal resource utilisation should be given priority consideration in any regional development strategy selected.

12. Import policy -- The effects of the uncontrolled import of food and agro-based commodities on the expansion of domestic production, diversification, employment and foreign exchange spending should be assessed as a bias for the formulation of an agricultural import policy.

13. Finance and Credit -- The current credit policy is seen as restrictive to agricultural diversification. It may be necessary to require commercial banks to allocate a percentage of their loans to agriculture, especially small-farm agriculture. Long-term funding for restructuring of the sugar industry should be sought from international sources.