Improving food security in The Bahamas and the Caribbean region begins with increasing production and productivity among small farmers throughout CARICOM countries. The Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources & Local Government launched the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Agriculture Policy Programme (APP) November 24 at Workers House, Harold Road.

The Agriculture Policy Programme, funded by the European Development Fund, aims to link small producers throughout the CARICOM region, to local, national, and regional markets.

Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government the Hon. V. Alfred Gray said the programme confirms that improvements in food security in The Bahamas and the region will most likely come from increases in production and productivity among micro and small farmers, who comprise the majority of agricultural producers in The Bahamas and other CARICOM countries.

He added, this is an exciting time for small producers in the Caribbean, as the APP promotes success through policy, practical advice, and market research to move small farmers everywhere to greater levels of production and productivity.

He explained: “The 10th European Development Fund for the CARICOM region has allocated 8.6 million euros or about $16.2 million dollars, which will be spent over the next 45 months, in the 15 countries of CARIFORUM, in three strategic areas of Policy and Strategy Formulation, Applied Research, and Enterprise Development. Each of these components will be implemented by CARICOM with a key regional development partner.”

Minister Gray said the Policy and Strategy component will be implemented by the CARICOM Secretariat and will focus on strengthening the policy and incentive framework, which should encourage small producers, women and young people, to improve their capacities, to expand their agricultural production.

The second component of this policy is Applied Research, which will be implemented by the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and will focus on improving the genetic material, of small ruminants, and on transforming the agricultural sector to adapting Climate Smart, Agricultural Systems in Agricultural Development.

Stressing the importance of integrating climatic factors in agricultural planning, Minister Gray illustrated his point: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have all been told that global temperatures are indeed rising. Recent research has shown that rise in temperature is affecting worldwide agriculture systems. Small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, which have been targeted by livestock producers because they are considered tough animals, are now being affected by the rising temperatures,” said Minister Gray.

“These animals are said to becoming more stressed, and are eating less, which results in lower meat production. The changes in climatic conditions, in addition to affecting the animals, are also affecting the livestock production system. For example the availability of sufficient feed for livestock animals, is also being impacted, particularly when drought conditions reduce the availability of forage. For those animals, I am also advised that changing climate is integrally linked to our ability to feed ourselves.”

Minister Gray said this project will provide practical advice to small producers on how to adapt their production systems to these changing environmental issues in order to increase production.

He added hat the third component of this agriculture policy involves Enterprise Development, which will be implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and it seeks to actively engage small farmers with their marketing, through value-chain analysis.

“The growing of an agricultural product does not automatically translate into ‘money’ for the farmer. The crop grown needs to be transformed into a product that will cause the greatest financial return for the farmer. Sometimes this transformation could involve packaging, and at other times it could involve some level of processing,” said Minister Gray.

“For example, have you noticed what has happened to marketing the tomato? You can buy it loose, or in a plastic bag, or in a carton, sun-dried, or in a brine, or as a paste, or even bottled. The objective of this component therefore is to provide farmers as far as possible with the information they need to actively engage with buyers, and their needs, so that they get the best possible price for their produce.”

Specifically with respect to The Bahamas, he affirmed: “the Government of the Bahamas is committed to improving our country’s food security. Our commitment to our food security is made obvious when you consider the Government’s creation of BAMSI, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute. This Institute will provide the means by which future farmers are identified, fully trained an sufficiently armed with the practical experience, which they will need to possess as future farmers,” said Minister Gray.

“I believe that at the end of this Agriculture Policy Programme, we will have a strengthened policy framework that will support small agriculture producers in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and indeed throughout this region. In The Bahamas, we already know that we are not able to produce enough local mutton to meet domestic demand. I look forward therefore to the innovations that the researchers will come up with in order to enable small livestock farmers to increase production levels in an ever changing climatic environment,” said Minister Gray.

Addressing all-important market links, he continued that the aim is to link farmers and potential farms to markets.

Noting he had often heard farmers talk about their marketing challenges, he said establishing the linkages is a very important aspect of the programme: “In The Bahamas, we import about 85 percent of what we eat so we know there is an available Bahamian market.

“The challenge ladies and gentlemen, may be, to ensure that the production on the farm is matched with proper packaging and processing in such a way that farmers will earn the greatest financial returns from their labour.”
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Minister Gray expressed his gratitude to the European Commission for funding the project. He also thanked his ministry, the Department of Agriculture, BAIC, BAMSI, the CARICOM Secretariat, CARDI, and IICA in executing the project. He also thanked the farmers and farming organizations -- the main beneficiaries of the project, expecting a large return for their labour.

The Hon. V. Alfred Gray, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government being interviewed. (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham)

Manuel Messina, IICA Representative, during APP presentation. (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham)