Livestock in the Caribbean

Role in economies, rural livelihoods and policies to

stimulate growth and regional trade

Francis AsieduManager

Technical ServicesCARDI

Presentation Outline

• Key features of CARICOM Caribbean Region• Agriculture, in general, and livestock in

economies• Livestock in rural livelihoods and food and

nutrition security• Livestock untapped supply• Mitigating constraints• Policies for growth and regional trade• CARDI’s contribution

Features of Caribbean Region

GDP (2000 K, $US M)

AGRIC (% GDP)

LIVESTOCK(% AGRIC GDP)

CARICOM 34,295 10.0

BDS 2,153 5.2

BLZ 849 18.6 17.4

GUY 614 34.1 16.4

JAM 8,208 6.0 19.7

SLU 609 4.6 11.1

T&T 10,501 0.8 19.6

TOTAL GDP, PER CENT AGRIC GDP AND PER CENT LIVESTOCK IN AGRIC GDP

% Rural population

Households in livestock

production

Animal products in diet intake (%)

No. % Energy Protein

CARICOM 57.7 22 53

BHS 16.9 271 15.4 32 65

DOM 27.1 2,200 24.4 23 56

GND 69.4 3,500 19.1 27 65

SKN 67.8 890 29.0 29 64

SVG 54.1 2,200 29.8 19 54

T&T 87.8 2,600 13.6 17 44

LIVESTOCK FOR RURAL LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

Livestock products - Demand, local production and deficit

• SPS deficiencies• Inadequate financing of

R&D and investment in the sector

• Insufficient trained human resources

• Inadequate marketing and transport capacities to stimulate regional trade

Binding Constraints

Research Methods

Policies

• Lead agency for R&D –Mandate for technology generation and transfer

• As member of COTED contributes to policy initiatives

• Development of regional Agricultural Research and Development Strategy

• MTP 2008-2010 cued to regional need to increase food supply

• Articulated Commodity Value Chain and R & D Application Chain to implement MTP

CARDI’s Contribution

to the Process