EXTENSION SERVICES IN THE ENGLISHSPEAKING CARIBBEAN

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EXTENSION SERVICES IN THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING
CARIBBEAN

• Joseph Seepersad
• University of the West Indies

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OVERVIEW OF TALK

• Background information
• Description of the main providers
• where Extension is the main function
• where Extension is one among other functions
• Issues and recommendations

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MAP OF CARIBBEAN
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FACTS AND FIGURES
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FACTS AND FIGURES
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FACTS AND FIGURES
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ECONOMIC BACKGROUND

• Tourism and offshore banking have taken over
  agriculture as the main economic activities in
  the region especially in the smaller countries.
• MINERALS
• Oil natural gas Trinidad Tobago
• Bauxite Jamaica, Guyana
• Gold in Guyana

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AGRICULTURES contribution to GDP

• 25 - Guyana (sugar, rice)
• 18 - Dominica (bananas), Belize
• 5 to 10 - Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent
  (10), Jamaica, Barbados (6)
• Less than 5 - T T, Bahamas, Antigua

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AGRICULTURE

• Traditional export crops are still the most
  important
• SUGAR Guyana, Belize, Jamaica, Trinidad,
  Barbados, St. Kitts
• BANANAS Belize, Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, St.
  Lucia, St. Vincent
• COCOA, COFFEE, CITRUS, COCONUTS

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AGRICULTURE

• Threat of losing guaranteed markets especially
  for bananas and sugar
• Many strategies to deal with the problem
• Certified grower schemes in banana industry
• Increasing productivity through irrigation
• New enterprises
• New products

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AGRICULTURE

• Economic and social problems as a result of the
  problems in the banana industry
• Vibrant poultry industry but depend heavily on
  imported inputs
• Weak dairy industry.
• Beef mainly in Guyana and Belize

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AGRICULTURE

• Large number of small family farms compared to
  large farms
• State companies are very important in the sugar
  industry
• In Jamaica, large farms dominate the traditional
  sector. Small farmers mainly in vegetables and
  non-traditional sector.

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AGRICULTURE

• Large sugarcane farms and rice farms are highly
  mechanized
• Banana industry in the Eastern Caribbean is based
  on a large number of small farmers. Approx. 80
  of the farms are less than 2 ha.
• In 1994 approx. 23,000 farmers
• In 1997 - approx. 16,300 farmers.

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MAIN SYSTEMS

• Public sector
• Ministry of Agriculture
• Rural Agricultural Development Authority
  (Jamaica)
• Commodity systems
• Contract farming poultry
• Commercial agricultural dealers

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OTHER SYSTEMS

• Institutions in Research Development
• Farmers associations and community based
  organizations
• Rural/Area Development Projects
• Special projects
• Non governmental organizations

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Ministry of Agriculture Extension

• The most widespread and the largest
• In most cases, the same staff deal with both crop
  and livestock except for St. Kitts, Grenada and
  Barbados
• Tend not to focus on areas handled by commodity
  extension systems and contract farming

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MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

• Still a lot of emphasis on production agriculture
• In some cases, specialized units or staff in
  other areas
• Most have communication units
• Farmers Training Centre in TT

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MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

• Many times they have duties other than
  knowledge/technology transfer
• Extension Subject Matter Specialists
• Jamaica 6 Marketing Ext. Home Ec.
• St. Lucia - 9 including one in cottage industry
  and one in Farmer Organization
• Trin. Tob.- 2

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COMMODITY EXTENSION

• BANANA
• in all countries that export bananas (Belize,
  Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St.
  Vincent).
• the largest commodity extension system but is
  getting smaller due to problems in industry.
• Started in 1970s drawing staff from the
  Ministries of Agriculture

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OTHER COMMODITY EXTENSION SYSTEMS

• RICE Guyana
• COCOA Jamaica, Grenada
• COFFEE - Jamaica
• SUGAR Jamaica, (Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados,
  Belize)
• Jamaica has several commodity extension services

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CONTRACT FARMING

• Mainly in the poultry (broiler) industry
• Technology transfer involving a fixed package of
  practices, inputs
• Regulatory aspect since, field staff have to
  monitor what is happening
• Highly intensive form of Extension since farms
  are visited regularly and easily accessible to
  deal with problems.

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INPUT SUPPLY

• Play an important role especially in the larger
  countries
• Consider themselves as friends of the farmer
  with a wider concern in agricultural development.
  
• Many have field staff who promote/support their
  products.
• Products and activities perhaps need to be
  monitored and regulated better.

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FARMER ORGANIZATIONS

• The Agricultural Societies in Jamaica, Barbados
  and Trinidad Tobago have been in existence for
  over 100 years.
• Receives funds from their governments
• Jamaica Agricultural Society and the Guyana Rice
  Farmers Association have several field staff.
• Generally have not performed too well including
  agricultural cooperatives

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EXPERIENCES WITH RESTRUCTURING PUBLIC SECTOR
EXTENSION

• Establishment of autonomous authority for
  Extension in Jamaica seems fairly successful
• Merging of Extension and Research in Barbados
  caused a lot of dissatisfaction
• Decentralization of Extension in Trinidad has led
  to a separation into core staff and regional
  staff.

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OTHER OBSERVATIONS RE PUBLIC SECTOR SYSTEMS

• Public sector systems not really set up to
  promote broad rural development.
• Should play a coordinating role or even
  leadership role
• Has served as a base from which has emerged
  commodity systems, fisheries extension

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PUBLIC SECTOR SYSTEM

• It can be effective if all the pieces are in
  place, for example the Hibiscus Mealybug
  programme in Trinidad.
• political will since it was a major threat
• good administrative support at top levels
• good collaboration among agencies
• enough funds for audio-visual materials and mass
  me
• appropriate technologyeventually

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PUBLIC SECTOR SYSTEM

• Not served large commercial farmers too well.
  Has nurtured many of them in the early stages of
  development. But needs to have a stronger
  relationship with them.
• General acceptance of the importance of
  communication technologies although not well
  funded.
• Participatory approaches (Farmer Field Schools)
  are becoming important.

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ISSUES RE SOME THEMATIC AREAS

• FARMERS ORGANIZATIONS
• Need to strengthen farmers associations to play
  a greater role in agricultural and rural
  development
• Agricultural cooperatives have acquired a bad
  reputation although credit unions have been
  successful. Need to look at other types that
  will do the same job.

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THEMATIC AREAS

• Need better coordination of natural resource
  management/environmental extension - carried out
  by several different agencies.
• Rural development is an urgent issue in view of
  the (threatened) collapse of the agricultural
  base in many communities
• Strengthen and expand programmes for youth in
  agriculture. NGOs can play a useful role

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THE FUTURE

• The role of Extension, defined in its broadest
  sense, is more important than ever before. There
  are many new challenges that modern societies now
  face.
• However, it will have to improve its image so
  that the public understand its importance.