1 overview of the integrated package of proposals senator the hon. dr. john mcintyre minister of...

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Overview of the Integrated Package of Proposals

Senator the Hon. Dr. John McIntyre Minister of Agriculture, Dominica

June 2, 2007

CARICOM Agriculture Donor ConferenceCROWNE PLAZA TRINIDAD, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2 June 2007

CARICOM Agriculture Donor ConferenceCROWNE PLAZA TRINIDAD, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2 June 2007

TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURETRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

Ensuring Food Security and Rural Development in CARICOM

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Content of Presentation

AGRICULTURE SECTOR CHALLENGES

STRATEGIC THRUSTS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES

OVERVIEW OF PROPOSALS AND PROJECTS

FINANCING GAPS AND OPTIONS

CONCLUSIONS

CARICOM Agriculture Donor ConferenceCARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

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Many regional agricultural sector policy documents and other initiatives, including the RTP and the Jagdeo Initiative, have identified priority constraints as :

• Limited financing and inadequate new investments; •Deficient and uncoordinated risk management measures; •Fragmented and unorganised agricultural private sector;•In-adequate research and technology development;•Outdated and inefficient agriculture health and food safety systems;•Inefficient land and water distribution systems;•Inadequate transportation systems (perishables);•Weak and inadequate information, weak markets- development, linkages;

•Lack of skilled human resources.


AGRICULTURE SECTOR CHALLENGES

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STRATEGIC THRUSTS

Creating an enabling environment

Enhancing enterprise development and diversification

Development and transfer of technology

Food Security and Sustainable Development



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STRATEGIC THRUSTS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Creating an enabling environment Developed and improved physical and social

infrastructure Improved policy, institutions and inter-sectoral linkages

Enhancing enterprise development Private and public sector partnerships Increased entrepreneurship and innovation

Development and transfer of technology Strengthened Agricultural Health, Food Safety Systems,

Quality and Standards Increased use of improved technologies

Diversification and expansion of the agricultural sector Increased markets for value added products regional brand products


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OUTCOME 1: DEVELOPED AND IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE

irrigation infrastructure

sea defence and fish landing type infrastructure

feeder roads

laboratories


Creating an Enabling Environment


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OUTCOME 2: IMPROVED POLICY, INSTITUTIONAL AND

INTER-SECTORAL LINKAGES

• Strengthening national and regional institutions as efficient service providers

• Establishing clear and transparent policies that serve as incentives to investment in the rural sector

• Developing synergies between different sectors, for instance, agriculture and the health sector and agriculture and the tourism sector

• Facilitating cross border collaboration between producers, processors and marketing agents


Creating an Enabling Environment

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OUTCOME 3 : ENHANCED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS

Strengthened strategic alliances created between and among Government, private sector, community and development organizations :

Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation Belize Livestock Producers Association Arrowroot Industry Association Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association

Fostering the development of commodity/enterprise associations • Legislation - unification and formalizing• Incentives - training, information• Market development – negotiations, trade facilitation


Enhancing Enterprise Development

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OUTCOME 4 : Increased Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Entrepreneurship training and business center development

Credit and risk facilitation for enterprises and especially partnerships

Dynamic linkages between suppliers and users of technology


Enhancing enterprise development


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OUTCOME 5: STRENGTHENED AGRICULTURAL HEALTH, FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS, QUALITY AND STANDARDS

• Meeting domestic and export market requirements

• Upgraded information, processing and laboratory systems.

- Caribbean Invasive Species Surveillance and Information Program (CISSIP)

- Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety (CAHFSA)

- Caribbean Regional Organization of Standards and Quality (CROSQ)


Development and Transfer of Technology

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OUTCOME 6: INCREASED USE OF TECHNOLOGY

• Availability and use of improved technologies is seen as critical in the increased involvement of youth in agricultural and and rural area development

• Accessing new national, regional and international markets is very dependent on the availability of technologies at a scale that would help Caribbean small farmers address constraints, increase their efficiency and competitiveness.


Development and Transfer of Technology


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OUTCOME 7: INCREASED MARKETS FOR VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS

• Higher incomes in the region and the increased consumption of processed products is an expanding agricultural sector opportunity.

• Reallocation of resources between current and future agricultural activities is being pushed by the negative events in the traditional commodity sectors.

• Food crops, spices, fruits and livestock products are some of the attractive areas.


Diversification and Expansion of the Agricultural Sector


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OUTCOME 8: STRENGTHENED REGIONAL BRAND PRODUCTS

• Agricultural products should be marketed using the Caribbean brand

product characteristics sustainable development practices livelihood systems

• The cross border production and marketing linkages should be developed to reflect the different comparative advantages across the region. Some potential products and for which there are proposals in the package:

West Indian Sea Island Cotton Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Pepper sauce A range of exotic Caribbean fruits, herbs and spices


Diversification and Expansion of the Agricultural Sector

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PROPOSALS AND PROJECTS



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PROPOSALS AND PROJECTS - BACKGROUND

Considerable consensus on the Regional Agricultural Strategy associated with – Treaty of Chaguaramas, RTP, OECS Agricultural Strategy, Jagdeo Initiative have led to:

• Preparation of NMTIPs

• Identification of Investment Gaps

• Preparation of Bankable Investment Project Profiles (BIPPs)

• Preparation of Regional projects based on regional consultations – on food security, research and technology transfer, trade negotiations, and enterprise development


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PROPOSALS AND PROJECTS - OVERVIEW

The projects and proposals presented are indicative of gaps identified. They complement ongoing projects. Additional projects are under preparation.

• Fifty three (53) projects/proposals are submitted for consideration of this Conference

• Fourteen (14) regional submissions from - CARDI, CARICOM Secretariat, CABA, IICA,OECS Secretariat, and UWI

• Thirty-nine (39) national project proposals/ideas/concept notes - endorsed by the individual Governments

• Of the 39 national project proposals, 22 are associated with the regional project proposal “Up-scaled Caribbean Regional Project for Food Security (CRPFS).


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CHARACTERIZATION OF PROPOSALS / PROJECTS

Investment Proposals/projects submitted are consistent with four strategic thematic areas:

• enterprise development and trade facilitation which includes entrepreneurial development and the involvement of youth in agriculture

• technology development and transfer which includes both production, processing and distribution technologies for agriculture, livestock and fisheries

• enabling environment which includes all the various types of infrastructure; and institutional support services needed

• food security and sustainable development, embracing the food security issues and the management of the region’s natural resources


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ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE FACILITATION

This category includes twenty-nine projects/ proposals addressing:

Product and market development for

small ruminants coffee, cotton, nutmeg, arrowroot, fruit sector and aquaculture

Agricultural health and food safety at both the regional and national levels Caribbean Invasive Species Surveillance and Information

Programme (CISSIP) initially in five countries

Acklins & Crooked island project of the Bahamas


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TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER

This category includes twenty-six projects / proposals addressing:

Development, strengthening and transfer of technology and technological packages for production and marketing systems

Specific technology project areas –greenhouse livestock breedingfisheries and aquaculture


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PROPOSALS/PROJECTS RELATED TO: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT This category includes thirty projects/proposals

addressing:

infrastructure development or improvement such as: farm roads, research / laboratory facilities, marketing / processing facilities, marine fisheries and aquaculture facilities and irrigation facilities;

institutional strengthening and reform of:

Belize Livestock Producers Association, Grenada Cocoa Association and Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association, Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica


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FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This category includes thirty-one projects/proposals addressing:

• “Sustainable fisheries development in the Acklins & Crooked island” project of the Bahamas

• “Food security enhancement for the Rupununi Savannahs Communities” project of Guyana

• Upscaled Caribbean Regional Food Security Project

• Sustainable development / natural resource management type projects include – Marine fisheries/ aquaculture type projects– Bio-diesel/ agro-energy type projects


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Financing Gaps

National and regional level resources support a wide cross-section of agricultural sector development activities but it leaves a number of critical areas under-funded

Current international institution support for the agricultural sector is very low absolutely and relative to other areas

The gap in resources that exists is reflected in the package of proposals prepared for this Donor meeting. Current estimates are close to US$250 million


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CONCLUSIONS

The project/proposals represent a comprehensive investment package that would diversify the agricultural sector and facilitate increased integration across CARICOM states, thereby furthering the goals of the CSME.

The regional projects are designed wholly to strengthen regional level services to support activities within and among countries.

The proposals are market oriented and would assist in transitioning CARICOM agriculture to achieve levels of competitiveness required in the global economic environment.

Currently there is no definitive prioritization across national and regional projects.

Achieving the social goals of the region require increase investments into the agricultural sector. The proposals presented are priority areas for the injections of additional resources.


1 overview of the integrated package of proposals senator the hon. dr. john mcintyre minister of...

Documents

caricom slide

inefficient agriculture

health sector

rural sector

technology development

tourism sector

enabling environment

diversification development