Agriculture
Agriculture
he agriculture sector now accounts for approximately 6% of GDP and employs about 8% of the total labour force. Agriculture exports in 2008 amounted to approximately EC $20M. The principal export crops being cocoa, nutmeg and mace, spices, citrus and other fruits and vegetables. The agriculture sector suffered significant losses during the passage of Hurricanes Ivan and Emily in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Whilst the sector has enjoyed a notable measure of recovery; the conditions in the sector still remain difficult. The global economic meltdown has provided an opportunity for the agriculture sector to once again regain its’ prominence and play a defining role in nation building. For this to happen though, certain prerequisites must take place such as a careful analysis of the state of the sector, careful planning to drive capital injection into the sector, development and implementation of supporting policies and legislation, development of human resource capacity and the ability to attract young persons into the sector. There must be a focus on value added and a radical transformation of the agricultural industry.
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Despite the agriculture industry’s inherent potential for national economic progress in Grenada, economic development rather, a myriad of challenges associated with the sector has forestalled it’s preeminence over other economic sectors. Some of these underlining challenges are: industry wide devastation caused by natural disasters (two hurricanes within less than one year), insufficient existence and enforcement of agriculture policies, obsolete farming systems, limited or more often total deficiency in the use of technology, paucity in agricultural research and development, inadequate farm labourers or labour systems, aging farming community (average age of farmers as high as 54) which, inevitably, has affected productivity in the industry, thereby threatening future sustenance of the sector. The problem of an aging farming community hinges on the inability of the sector to attract the youths, possibly because of failure of stakeholders to change face of the agriculture from an industry of ‘last resort’ and disdain to one that is extremely scientific and utilizes modernized technologies with the outcome of viable business ventures. Many other intractable problems exist,
including inadequate credit facilities, unattractive prices for agriculture produce, disorganized markets, lack of production planning and limited agroprocessing. As the global economies continue in instability and emit adverse impacts to vulnerable developing countries such as exorbitant food prices, the urgency to focus on local agriculture development has become even more essential. The Ministry of Agriculture continues to advocate the sustainable development of the sector. L ivestock The abrogation of the Agriculture Statistical Department and the absence of an appropriate system to monitor slaughtering have resulted in a deficiency of livestock production data for pigs, cattle and small ruminants (goats and sheep). Production data for these animals for 2008 were therefore unattainable. Since 2007, the poultry subsector employed an efficient production system which accommodated comparative performance analysis of the sub-sector. Although production statistics is also difficult to ascertain, apiculture was one of the fastest growing livestock subsectors in Grenada for the year 2008. Beekeepers have been exporting honey regionally and internationally. A number of gold medals have been won by the subsector at the London Show, indicative of the quality of honey produced in Grenada. Rabbit production also has significant potential, however, a number of initiative ???????????????????????????????????????????????????9?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????Q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????((??()???????????????????((0