1 Overview of the Integrated Package of Proposals Senator the Hon. Dr. John McIntyre Minister of Agriculture, Dominica June 2, 2007 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference CROWNE PLAZA TRINIDAD, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2 June 2007 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference CROWNE PLAZA TRINIDAD, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2 June 2007 TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE Ensuring Food Security and Rural Development in CARICOM

2 Content of Presentation  AGRICULTURE SECTOR CHALLENGES  STRATEGIC THRUSTS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES  OVERVIEW OF PROPOSALS AND PROJECTS  FINANCING GAPS AND OPTIONS  CONCLUSIONS CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

3 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measures; Fragmented and unorganised agricultural private sector; In-adequate research and technology development; Outdated and inefficient agriculture health and food safety systems; Inefficient land and water distribution systems; Inadequate transportation systems (perishables);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. CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference AGRICULTURE SECTOR CHALLENGES

4 STRATEGIC THRUSTS  Creating an enabling environment  Enhancing enterprise development and diversification  Development and transfer of technology  Food Security and Sustainable Development CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

5 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

6 OUTCOME 1: DEVELOPED AND IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE  irrigation infrastructure  sea defence and fish landing type infrastructure  feeder roads  laboratories CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Creating an Enabling Environment TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

7 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Creating an Enabling Environment

8 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Enhancing Enterprise Development

9 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Enhancing enterprise development TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

10 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) CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Development and Transfer of Technology

11 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. CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Development and Transfer of Technology TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

12 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. CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Diversification and Expansion of the Agricultural Sector TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

13 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference Diversification and Expansion of the Agricultural Sector

14 PROPOSALS AND PROJECTS CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference TRANSFORMING CARICOM AGRICULTURE

15 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

16 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). CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

17 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

18 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

19 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 breeding  fisheries and aquaculture CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

20 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

21 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

22 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 CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference

23 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. CARICOM Agriculture Donor Conference