CaFAN Newsletter Issue No_9

8/9/2019 CaFAN Newsletter Issue No_9

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Managing Editor: Jethro Greene | Administrative Support and Editor: Nyasha Durrant |

Contributors: Ronortha Penny & Alvin Murray | Design & Layout: Pet Secretarial Services

Through the capacity building and strengthening offarmers organisations, CaFAN is working with its manypartners including FAO to promote farming as a viableand profitable enterprise that can be passed on fromgeneration to generation.

The understanding of setting up and managing the valuechain and enterprise development is very crucial forfarmers organisations in this new agriculturalenvironment. CaFAN wants to arm its members with thenecessary skills, techniques, infrastructure, financingand technical support from its partners to ensure thatfarmers and their organisations own a greater share of

the value chain, thus ensuring the profitability andviability of agriculture for the future. We do this bylooking at examples of successful farmers organisationsthat have done this in the United States of America andEurope, thus bringing real wealth to the farmers table.

There are some people who ask why CaFANsconcentration is on small farmers and small families.

Firstly, small farm familiesrepresent a broad crosssection of our Caribbeanpopulation. Secondly, theyare the stabilizing forces inour agriculture foodproduction and becausemost of them own fiveacres and less, we need tofacilitate them to work inclusters and groups to gaineconomies of scale.

With a membershipthroughout the Caribbeanregion that touches on500,000 farm families,think of how important it is

if these people feel agreater part of the societyand how much they willcontribute towards itsinternal stability.

In the end, CaFAN makesno apologies and wants tosee more successfulbusiness farmers, thuscreating the right kind ofimage where we willshowcase agriculture as a

real business.

We look forward tostrengthening ourcollaboration with ourpartners, the public sectorand the private sector.

CaNewsle

Iss

IN THIS ISSUE

FO received training inAgribusiness Mgnt

Increasing Yields throughRegional Integration

CaFAN Secretariat welcomnew Director of CTA

Community Renaissancethrough Diversification andTechnology

Highlights of Agribusinessworkshop

CaFANs position onAgriculture RiskInsurance..

Growing Green for aSustainable Tomorrow

NEFO benefits from trainingworkshop

Guyana to sign LoA withFAO

Review of CaFANsperformance during 2008-2010

CaFAN Priorities for 2011-2013

LR: Jethro Greene (CaFAN) and Heiko Bammann (FAO)


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Editors NoteDear Readers,

The CaFAN Secretariat is thrilled to present to you our latest newsletterending July 2010; Agrivybz Issue no. nine. This issue of Agrivybz is the first tobe produced with funding from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of theUnited Nations (FAO) under the European Union All African Caribbean andPacific Agriculture Commodities Programme (EU AAACP), GCP-INT-045-EC/PR 43075.

CaFAN and FAO first collaborated in November 2008 and hosted a regionalworkshop on Strengthening the Capacity for Farmers Organisations torespond to changing agriculture markets (see Agrivybz issue no. 5). The

workshop paved the way forward for selected CaFAN members to receivedirect support for capacity building and strengthening in their production andmarketing of roots and tubers.

This issue features articles from CaFAN members; North East FarmersOrganizations (NEFO-Grenada), Christiana Potato Growers CooperativeAssociation (CPGCA-Jamaica), and the Guyana Agricultural ProducersAssociation (GAPA-Guyana) who are directly receiving support from FAOunder the EU AAACP through Letter of Agreements (LoA).

As a regional farmers organization, CaFAN welcomes the support andcontributions of our partners and stakeholders to aid its members to functionas sustainable and viable enterprises.

In this regard, we will continue to work with our partners and supporters suchas the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Foodand Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), CaribbeanAgricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Inter-AmericanInstitute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), CARICOM, CaribbeanDevelopment Bank (CDB), Caribbean Disaster and Emergency ManagementAgency (CDEMA), Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS),United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), national Ministries ofAgriculture and other public and private sector organisations to unleash thetrue potential of our farmers and farmers organisations to ensure that thefuture of agriculture is in good hands.

On behalf of CaFAN, its Secretariat and partners, I invite you to explore thisissue of Agrivybz and we welcome your positive feedbacks.

Miss. Nyasha Durrant,Administrative Officer, CaFAN Secretariat

CaFAN welcomes

new FAO Rep.

CaFAN welcomes theappointment of Mrs. FloritaKentish as the Food andAgriculture Organisation of theUnited Nations (FAO) new SubRegional Coordinator for theCaribbean. Mrs. Kentish bringsto her post not only a wealth ofexperience, but a genuine

people oriented attitude towardsfighting poverty. She does thisby encouraging all actors andstakeholders in the agriculturesector to participate in their owndevelopment. Our FarmersOrganisations feel verycomfortable with her as sheencourages capacity buildingand strengthening of farmersorganizations in a participatoryway.

Mrs. Kentish was appointedSubregional Coordinator for theCaribbean on the 28 November2009. Ms Kentish is a national ofAntigua and Barbuda and holdsa B.Sc. (Biology) from theUniversity of Guyana, a B.Sc. inAgriculture from the MurrayState University, Kentucky, USAand an MA in Entomology andPest Management from theUniversity of Florida, USA. Shestarted her career in 1980 asPlant Protection Officer in theMinistry of Agriculture, Antigua.Ms Kentish joined FAO inSeptember 2005 as FAORepresentative in Trinidad andTobago. Ms Kentish succeedsMs L. Barbara Graham as FAOSubregional Coordinator for theCaribbean and FAORepresentative in Barbados.


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Farmers Organisations received training

in Agribusiness Management

Farming as a Businessis the continued focus of theCaribbean Farmers Networks(CaFAN) new approach inconjunction with its partners.This approach seeks toreposition agriculture to meetthe demands of modernmarkets, ensuring that theagricultural sector providessustainable and lucrativeincome for farm business in thatsector.

Towards this, CaFAN inconjunction with the Food andAgriculture Organisation of theUnited Nations (FAO) under theEuropean Union All AfricanCaribbean and Pacific Agricultural CommoditiesProgramme (EU AAACP), and the Government of Italyfunded regional project Promoting CARICOM /CARIFORUM Food Security (GTFS/RLA/141/ITA),recently conducted a five day regional training coursefocusing on Agribusiness Management for Farmers

Organisations in Saint Lucia from July 26th 30th, 2010.

Forty five persons representing leading farmersorganisations and selected value chain stakeholdersfrom eleven Caribbean countries, including the hostcountry St. Lucia were brought together to discuss thebusiness of agriculture. Mr. Heiko Bammann and Ms.Alexandra Rottgerof FAO - Rome, Mr. Robert Best andMr. Lafaele Enoka of FAO - Trinidad & Tobago and Mr.Jethro Greene of CaFAN prepared the programme forthe training week and led the different sessions.

During the regional training course, presentations and

discussions focused on topics such as marketing,business planning and preparing business plans,managing people and finance, farm businessmanagement, enterprise development, value chainfinancing, and management of farmers organisations.All topics aimed at empowering farmers in the agriculturesector.

A one day field visit was another highlight of the trainingcourse. Participants were able to tour the facilities of

Super J, one of the major operators and largestsupermarket chains in St. Lucia, with visits to theirpurchasing centre and one of the supermarket storesunder the guidance of Mr. Dunstan Demille (PurchasingManager of Super J). On the second leg of the fieldvisit, participants visited two of the leading farmers

organisations in St. Lucia; the Belle Vue FarmersCooperative and the Black Bay Farmers Cooperative,where they gained firsthand knowledge of theseorganizations operations through question and answersessions.

It is recognized that farmers working together inorganizations and with a business focus can bring majorfinancial rewards to members if proper organization andbusiness management techniques are followed. CaFANmembers and potential members are well placed to takeadvantage of the high levels of technical expertise andthe abundance of information available that can be used

to turn farmer organizations into efficient businessmanagement enterprises.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participantsexpressed their gratitude for the knowledge andexperiences they gained. Many vowed to use the newknowledge to further their organizations mandates andto implement skills learnt. Others expressed the desire tohave the training course implemented on a local level ineach country so that more farmers would be exposed tothe information presented at the training course.

Participants of the Agribusiness Management training course


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Increasing Yields through Regional Integration

The concerns of eating home grown foodsand growing sufficient for external markets

have been in the minds of the Grenadiansespecially the farmers for many years.Presently Grenada has reached the stageof development whereby farmers mustproduce large quantities filling the loopholds in the agricultural sector for thedevelopment of an economically andenvironmentally sustainable country.

To undertake this venture members of theNorth East Farmers Organization (NEFO)with support from the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO),

the Caribbean Farmers Network throughthe European Union All ACP AgriculturalCommodities Programme (EU AAACP)and the Caribbean Agriculture Researchand Development Institute (CARDI)provided support to NEFO to increase itsRoot and Tuber Market share throughpractical workshop courses entitled Rootsand Tubers during the months of April,May and June.

The workshop provided the participantswith practical tools for developing effectivepropagation techniques, adequateselection of species and proper plantingmethods, which awoke cost effectivemethods for good agricultural practicesamong the farmers.

The workshops boosted eye-opening,finger snapping business developmentskills that the farmers are using presently.In an effort to subside the high cost oflabour the farmers worked diligently,supporting each other to clear plot, till theland and even assisted in planting. Thefarmers were overwhelmed to have learnt

that although their traditional ways wereaccepted, it needed strategic changes forhigher yields.

Its success lies with two key elements,firstly the farmers were willing to learn andsecondly they themselves provided manyyears of practical experience teachingeach other.

Practical demonstration

Land Preparation and Planting


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CaFAN Secreatariat welcomes new Director of CTA

In a letter dated June 14th, 2010 address to CTAs new Director Mr. Michael Hailu, the

CaFAN Secretariat welcomed and congratulated Mr. Hailu on his appointment to thepost of Director of The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA).

According to a release from CTA, Mr. Hailu joined CTA at the end of May 2010, prior towhich he was the Director of Communications and a member of the Senior LeadershipTeam of the World Agroforestry Centre based in Nairobi, Kenya. As Director ofCommunications, he was responsible for devising and implementing communicationsand outreach strategies, and oversaw capacity building, information & communication

technology services and served as Secretary of the Governing Board.

Both CaFAN and ECTAD have experienced an on-going cordial and meaningfulrelationship with CTA over the last several years. With CTAs kind assistance and support, ECTAD has spearheadedthe formation of CaFAN, which is now recognized as the premier umbrella farmers organization within the Englishspeaking Caribbean.

Both ECTAD and CaFAN respect and cherish the close and productive relationship we have had with the various CTAofficials with whom we have worked. We look forward to such continued relationship and to the positive contributionsMr. Hailu will make as the new CTA Director.

Members of NEFO during demonstration

Key learning components included

Yam-o Planting the whole tuber is not necessary. Instead minisetts of 2oz are idealo the preparation of nursery for better establishment of the cropo and utilizing raised bed in rows to increase area production

Tanniao identification of the burning diseaseo Cultivation in well drained soil

Dasheeno the post harvest treatments for long shelf life


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Community Renaissance through Diversification

and TechnologyThe ConceptThe Christiana Potato Growers Cooperative (CPGCA), legally established in1959, is one of the few, farmers cooperative in Jamaica that has managed tostand the test of time and maintain the respect of its members since itsinception. CPGCA has been operating continuously for the last 46 years withfull support of the community. Its mission is to provide consistently highquality products and excellent services to shareholders and customers, and tofocus on the growth and productivity of the Co-operative to the benefit ofshareholders, customers, and the wider community. Current operationsinclude the importation of seed and table potatoes, operation of a farm store,greenhouse vegetable production, operation of a tissue culture laboratory andoperation of the Devon Demonstration Farm all in support of the local farmer.

The Way Forward

One major area for improvement in Jamaican farming is commercialprocessing. CPGCA farmers currently loose 30-50 % of their crop due tophysiological damages; slight bruises, growth cracks, too big, too small andthis is without mentioning that they are harvesting premature crop reducingtheir overall yields just to avoid the above problems. By retrofitting andequipping an existing warehouse to serve as a processing plant, CPGCA canadd value and increase the utilization of its farm produce and enable accessto markets that were not available while the produce was in its fresh state, forreasons including sanitary and phytosanitary concerns, superficial blemishes,irregular sizes, the conversion of rejects into animal feeds by fermentation andother products. These actions will increase farm income.

Diversification and Technology

The Cooperative assists farmers toadopt the green house/protectedagriculture technology in producing

a selected list of vegetables that are presently being produced under thetraditional rain-fed agriculture farming system. The crops being introducedinitially are tomato, sweet pepper and cucumber as the plan matures a widerange of other vegetables and short-term crops will be introduced. These willinclude eggplant, lettuce, strawberry and sweet potato. It is expected thatfarmers will start relatively small in terms of acreage and then expand as theygain more experience.

The Cooperative has also begun the production of vegetables and seedlingsunder green house conditions thereby producing quality farm produceourselves, pointing the way and lighting the path of our farmers. The DevonFarmers Resource Centre operates eight greenhouses ranging from 3,000 to7,500 square feet in size.

Innovative strategyHere, there are more fascinating examples of Jamaican inventiveness.Grounded in discarded tyres, the roots of the plants are sprayed with fertilizermixed with water.

"The root just getting the mist andthat is how they get their nutrients,and I am hoping that we can have agreenhouse - strictly aeroponics,"Alvin Murray General Managersaid.

Alvin Murray is an ardentagriculturist who has spent mostof his life in this field andcontinues to chart paths towardsfurthering the development ofthe sector.

He has been recognized byseveral notable stakeholders forhis many outstanding efforts.

Mr. Murray continued hisagricultural development at theJamaica School of Agriculture1974-76, where he completedthe Diploma in Agriculture.

His professional careerstarted at the venerableChristiana Potato Growers' Co-operative Association Ltd.(CPGCA) in 1978, after which hewent to the Ministry ofAgriculture as a crop careofficer.

He subsequently heldpositions in coffee and bananafarm management and farminput sales.

Today, he has come fullcircle, being general manager ofthe CPGCA, to which hereturned in 2003 and is makingnotable strides in revitalizing thisassociation


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The CPGCA is committed to work towards more equity for the small farmersgenerally, and for their members in particular through a vertically integratedapproach to development of the small farmer community including training.The training exercises are aimed at improving the farmer organizationscapacities to provide services for improved market production by farmers. The

training exercises are directed mainly at Group Secretaries representing theCPGCA and will be Training the Trainers who have a wide range of educationachievements.

To help CPGCA achieve its goals, they have received grant funding fromFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under theEuropean Union All African Caribbean and Pacific Agricultural CommoditiesProgramme (EU AAACP) through the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN).The grant funding is in support of implementing activities that will improvelinkages between the farmers organization member groups and farmersmarketing roots and tubers and their respective buyers.

Program Objectives:

Understanding the co-operative movement, with specific bias to that ofa Marketing Cooperative functions, services and attributes, such asthe CPGC.

Enhancement of production and marketing coordination and skills.

Product quality enhancement through improved harvesting, postharvesttreatments and utilization of waste.

Institution of suppliers contracts and provision of credit and materials.

On the completion of these initial courses the trainers should be able to

Re-enforce to their farmersthe nature and complexity of aMarketing Cooperativescapacity to provide itsmembers needs in services,supplies, credit, marketing

and environmentmanagement, as well as thevalue of Patronage.

Development of simple, timelyand effective farm recordsand use such tools to run theirbusiness enterprises

Improve their communicationskill to mobilize the farmers,their families andcommunities.

Appreciate the benefits ofpersonal, workers andcommunity relationship toengender cooperation,efficient utilization ofresources and greaterproductivity.

Greater understanding of theconsumer and the choice ofcrops and product within thecontext of forward planningand market research

CPGCA operates within a 50kilometer radius of Christiana,Jamaica; most of the arable lands

are over 800 meters above sealevel, benefitting from 1500mm ofrainfall per annum on well drainedlimestone derived soils.

CPGCA operates within a 50

Kilometer radius of Christiana

CPGCA is currently working veryclosely with CARDI, MOAF ExportDivision, and Boodles ResearchStation, the Scientific ResearchCouncil and the University of theWest Indies on improvingproductivity in Protected Agricultureand Sweet potatoes, Potatoes andGinger.


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CaFANs position on Agriculture Risk

Insurance

CaFAN has once again received high level of recognition for the work and role it continues to play in the rejoin onbehalf of its farmers. The recognition came from the Minister of Agriculture in Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. HiltonBaptiste at the Agriculture Insurance Symposium which took place in Antigua and Barbuda from June 16-19, 2010 atthe Jolly Beach Resort.

CaFAN Secretariat and most of its member organisations were represented at the Symposium 2010 which focused ondisaster risk management for the agricultural sector in the Caribbean. Ms. Keeley Holder, Agricultural Officerassigned to the Secretariat delivered an outstanding presentation which was titled From Seed to Sale: How Farmerscan Reduce Risks in Vegetable Crop Production. In her presentation, Ms. Holder explained issues of risk anddisasters, marketing, land management, soil testing and nutrient management, irrigation water storage, pesticideapplication, pre and post harvesting, etc. At the end of her presentation, she encouraged all stakeholders to partnerwith CaFAN to help reduce disaster risks in agriculture.

The Agriculture Insurance Symposium 2010 was organized by Ministry of Agriculture of Antigua and Barbuda andCARICOM in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Food andAgriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency(CDEMA), World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Caribbean Agricultural Research andDevelopment Institute (CARDI).

In preparation for the Symposium 2010, CaFAN put together a concept paper with input from its members. Below is asynopsis of CaFANs position.

What are some of the external

factors that introduce risk into

farming?

The main external factors that

introduce risk into farming areclimate change, which manifests astemperature changes and extremeweather patterns, and diseaseswhich effect species and habitatsalong with farm outputs. Farmpractices have to become adaptiveto these changes whether throughindoor farming, styles of beds orirrigations systems.

Migration: the absence of men onthe farm is devastating leaving thevulnerable women to take care ofthe family with low income, workingin extreme weather patterns,securing food and water. Diversityand innovated practices, in additionto intergeneration programmes maydraw young men.

Financial stability: financialmeltdown will affect livelihoods,prices policy for goods across the

board will ensure that farmers willsurvive and discourages importationfrom extra-regional sources.

What kinds of risk insurance

coverage do we need for our

farmers?Depending on farm activity theinsurance coverage will differ andcoverage must be tailored to suiteach individual farmer; however, ingeneral, the priority for riskinsurance coverage must belivestock and crop insurance fornatural disasters - parametricinsurance for hurricanes, droughts,and floods. Secondary categories

should include pest and diseaseoutbreaks, property insurance(building, vehicle and equipment),and praedial larceny; although,recognising that there can be issueswith the latter concerning credibleevidence. We cannot neglect toconsider the health of the farmersas well. It would be impossible tohave a well organised thriving farmmanaged by an ailing farmer who is

worried about finding money formedicals. Farmers should,therefore, also have health and lifeinsurance.

We will need to consider how, whenand at what premium. As well astaking into account the size of plotand the age of the farmers.Coverage must not be expensivebut at the same time flexible andefficient for the farms and theinsurance company. Furthercoverage should also be consideredfor areas such as: vehicles used forfarming, machinery, fire (burning ofcrops and buildings), medicalcoverage for both the farm owner

and workers (even death coverageto help family with expenses and tocontinue operations by hiring anemployee), livestock (for theft,outbreak of disease).

Ideas for how the insurancepremiums could be covered includeusing a system similar to thatemployed by the Coffee Board in


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Jamaica whereby access wascollected from goods sold.

Livestock insurance could becalculated according to the value ofthe stock annually. Another thoughtis that crop insurance could becalculated according to the cost ofproduction per acre plus anadditional percentage (such as10%) for contingencies and toreinvest in the next crop cycle,therefore, each crop would carry adifferent valuation.

Contract farming mechanismswarrant further consideration asthey enable farmers to insure theircrops easier. Such a mechanismwould require a pilot approach to

ensure sustainability and success.Farmers will want to see it workbefore deciding to opt into cropinsurance because it would be anew venture within the Caribbean.Through feedback obtained from

farmers, it is evident that they haveexpressed interest in this approachprovided rates are competitive.

What can we bring to the table toencourage partnership forinsurance coverage?Farmers can carry to the tableMemorandums of Understanding,Contracts (if contract is timespecific, insure for the duration ofthe contract plus 3 additionalmonths), value increasing assets ofcash flow worth, be customers forother types of insurance thecompany offers (life, health,personal property, vehicle, etc.)

What should we do in the future?

Provide better incentives for

agriculture based on productionlevels.

Initiate a comprehensiveinsurance for crops andlivestock.

Educate farmers on how toreduce risks associated withagriculture e.g. assess the farmto identify which areas areprone to flooding, ensure theyhave enough seeds or plantingmaterial, appropriate choice ofcrop for season, and plantingtrees and shrubs to protect cropand terrain.

Pest and diseases and therelevant procedures andmeasures to be taken to avoid

Establish a weather riskmanagement facility. Historicalinformation is key to theeffective administration of sucha facility. Farmers should keepgood production records suchthat losses sustained due tounusual weather conditions canbe properly assessed and thepotential risk evaluated.Government could also providethe required time series weatherdata.

Growing Green for a Sustainable TomorrowBy Renortha Penny

A healthy environment is the basis for a healthy

economy. While the region has made strides to improvegood agricultural practices; for too long farmers in theCaribbean have been producing using chemical baseapplicants that lead to a deterioration of farm lands, thephysical environment and human health.

Acknowledging this havoc and to block further explosionof an unsustainable agricultural industry this articlerefocuses on traditional/ conventional (organic farming)use of fertilizers to grow plants.

In an effort to revitalize and strengthen agriculturesustainability many farmers are committed to promotingthe use of organic products (organic farming is defined

as the use of natural organisms to provide fertilizers,pesticides, livestock feed and weed control) whichmaximizes long term benefits and profits to the farmerswithout much technical expertise.

Fertilizers are added to the soil to supply essentialelements to the growth of plants. These elementsinclude the major nutrients such as nitrogen,phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur, as well as thetrace elements such as iron, zinc, and magnesium.

The use of compost or Vemicompost (the process where

organic compounds are broken down naturally or withthe use of worms respectively) provides the plants with ahealthy balance of these nutrients that are slowly releaseto the plants thus saving fertilizer cost and water sincethese compost retains plenty of water and are brokenslowly.

The practice of organic farming leads to manyadvantages:1. Resistance to pest and disease -Weed

Competitiveness - The crops, being healthier, arealso better able to compete with those weeds that arepresent.

2. Lower Input Costs- the farmer significantly saves on

expensive insecticides, fungicides and otherpesticides.

3. Added Value- prices are higher since the good lastlonger and are much tastier.

There is much conclusive evidence that organic farmingis the center to good agricultural practices, increasingcrop yields and the growth of healthy plants and animalsthat provide high nutritional value for our health.


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NEFO benefits from Group Leadership and

Management training workshop

Farmers Organizations need to

strengthen their functions of

Leadership and Management

internally and for external

representation. In this context the

presentation delivered by Mr.

Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator

of the Caribbean Farmers Network

on Effective Management of

Farmers Organizations was given

in a timely manner confirming and

reaffirming the managements role

of the North East Farmers

Organisation (NEFO), reiterating

the importance for sentimental

values and opportunities for human

resource development and

financial growth.

The workshop was presented on a

grassroot level, showing theparticipants how to improve their

quality-of-life, relationships and

management skills of leaders and

members and also ways to improve

membership interaction and

motivation.

The participants were able to

connect on a personal basis with

the presenter. This afforded them

the opportunity to become totally immersed in the workshop and it laid the

platform for increase interaction and respect among the members.

We learnt that there are several different walks of life; leaders are found in

religious institutions, businesses, schools, community organizations etc.

There are even leaders among friends, but among all types of leaders one

finds qualities and characteristics that distinguish one leader from another.

Anyone with good leadership skills ensures the consistency of delegations

to the people producing and acknowledging recommendations from all

stakeholders (floor members), meeting all levels of the organization.

Virtually all the participants ultimately found themselves as emerging

leaders in their respective platforms assessing some of their core

leadership strengths and areas for development.

The excellent collaboration between CaFAN and NEFO stimulates

progressive movement, embedding interaction for information sharing,

better utilization of limited resources and enterprise development,

enhancing both quality and quantity of products produced, even the

erection of stronger organizations.

A few of the participants who attended the Training workshop

President of NEFO Mr. Evans Gooding with newest volunteer member, Ms. Ronortha Penny


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Guyana to sign LoA with FAOThe Guyana Agricultural Producers Association (GAPA)

will sign its first Letter of Agreement with FAO under the

EU AAACP for coordinating activities of the Kuru KuruFarmers Crop and Livestock Association (KKFCL).

KKFCL is a member of GAPA.

The series of activities covered under the LoA will start

with a support programme focussed on the KKCFL and

under this programme, with a meeting between

producers and buyers. The meeting will be used to

confirm critical success factors and activities under the

draft upgrading strategy with the aim to increase

procurement from smallholders and improve market

linkages. More specifically, capacity building activities for

KKFCL staff and member famers will cover the followingareas:

management of a farmer organization, group

formation and organization;

improved supplies through application of modern

production technologies, production planning

and crop record keeping;

product quality through improved harvest and

post harvest techniques;

improved marketing and contract negotiation

skills.

Under this LoA, GAPA will coordinate theimplementation of activities as part of the overall

upgrading strategy and work with farmers from the Kuru

Kuru area.

In addition, Mr. Heiko Bammann, Enterprise

Development Officer of FAO Rome, visited Guyana and

met with GAPA during the week of August 9th, 2010 to

finalize the LoA.

Also, CaFAN will host a three day consultation and

training workshop in Guyana from September 1-5th,

2010. The training workshop will focus on group

management and leadership, networking and

communications. GAPA recently became the Secretariat

for CaFAN in Guyana and will be assisting CaFAN in

organizing the consultation and training.

The GAPA objectives in brief are as followed:

To promote and assist in every way the

development of agriculture in Guyana;

To organize farmers for united action to develop

their particular industry;

To co-ordinate the efforts of farmers for the

purpose of promoting their common interest;

To render services to farmers which will

advance their social and economic conditions;

To participate and assist in formulating and

promoting policies to meet existing and newchallenges and changing economic conditions;

To negotiate with Government, its agencies and

other bodies for the development of policies and

programmes designed to further agricultural

development;

To make representations on behalf of famers to

employees, landlords, Regional Councils, RDCs,

Government, donors and others;

To take common action on any and all mattersof interest and benefit to farmers;

To keep the farming community and general

public informed on the state of the industry, its

importance to the economy its potential for the

development of the economy;

To do all things which are conducive to the

attainment of these objectives;

To administer funds provided through its own

efforts, Government or donor programmes to

assist farmers for the development of

agriculture;

To establishe and maintain appropriate affiliation

with groups or organizations that are pertinent to

the objectives described herein.


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Review of CaFANs Performance During 2007 2010

Over the past two years CaFAN has focused its activities on the strategic focuses detailed below, which are listed inorder of importance. Please rate CaFANs performance on each using the three point scale below.

Strategic Focus Little - No

progress

Adequate

progress

Exceptional

progress1. Organizational Effectiveness

1.1. Membership Development- To promote CaFAN as the representative of farmers organizations

in CARIFORUM member states

1.2. Institutional Strengthening- To create an organization with an effective structure to meet its

objectives and those its members- Restructure the administrative, management, and development

functions of the Secretariat

1.3. Improved Capacity- To identify the needs and limitations of CaFANs members- To create synergies among groups necessary to accelerate the

achievement of goals- To build relationships with relevant stakeholders

1.4. Financial Viability- To acquire resources to sustain CaFANs Secretariat, member

organizations, projects and programmes

1.5. Information Systems and Data Management- To promote effective use of ICTs in knowledge dissemination,

communication, and marketing- Promote and implement the use of SMS as a tool of data collection,

general communication, and a source of information in times ofdisaster

- To increase access to computers and the internet- To promote and implement the use of ICT in advocacy- To use ICT as a tool for access to meaningful agricultural

development and research information

2. Sectoral Focus

2.1. Sustainable Agriculture- Promote and develop organic farming methods- Promote and implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM)- Promote and develop efficient water management methods- Promote, develop and implement climate change mitigation and

adaptation strategies and methods at the farm level

2.2. Market Access and Trade- To educate farmers on trade agreements- To influence and promote favourable trading environments for

member groups- To monitor and advise on production and marketing issues- To educate farmers on standards and Phyto-Sanitary requirements- To support initiatives that provide for the formation of linkages

between the tourism sector and the agriculture sector.- Improve access to credit, particularly for women

2.3. Disaster and Risk Management- Identification of specific strategies to be adopted by farmers to

minimize their risks- Identification of a the requirements on capacity of farmers


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organizations to prepare for, respond to, quantify and mitigatedisasters and risks

- To facilitate support on risk management and associated services(financial, risk mitigation and management services) to farmers andagri-businesses

2.4. Gender and Youth Participation

- To increase the involvement of youths in CaFANs activities, itsmember organizations and in the agricultural sector.- To increase the participation of women at the decision-making level

in CaFAN and its member organizations- To recognize the gender implications of CaFANs projects,

programmes and activities

Priorities for CaFAN in 2011 2015CaFAN has identified the following programme areas as high priorities and intends to focus its activities on theseareas in support of its Strategic Plan for 2011 - 2015.

Programme1. Market access for small farmers

- Production Planning systems- Production support systems- Marketing development/revolving fund- Agriculture input revolving fund- Bulk purchasing- Joint marketing- Linking of agriculture to tourism- Linking agriculture to value addition/ago-

processing- New technologies in agriculture- Small farmers value chain solutions

2. Youth agri-business and agriculture leadershipmanagement development

- Training of young business farmers- Training of agriculture youth leaders- Setting up of youth agribusiness development

fund

3. Policy Environment

- Working with governments to set up favourablepolicy environment for small farmers

- Setting up of agriculture development riskmanagement and disaster fund

4. Capacity building of farmers organisations

- Creating environment for farmers to work inclusters or in groups for greater advantages- Strengthening existing farmers organizations- Setting up national networking mechanism/focal

point to promote collective action and unityamong small farmers organisation

- Develop farmer lead self sustainableextension/technical support solutions through useof mentoring programs and farmers counterpartprograms

Member Feedback and Input

1. Do you think that the programme areasidentified above address the most

pressing issues or the greatestopportunities for small farmers in the

Caribbean region?

2. Do you have suggestions for additionalprogramme areas not mentioned

above? Are there programmes that youfeel should be removed?

3. From your perspective, do theseprogramme areas represent the best

use of CaFANs resources andexpertise?


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About CaFAN

The Caribbean Farmers Network Inc.(CaFAN) is a legally registered non-profit, non-governmental regionalumbrella of farmer organisations.

CaFAN was formed and initiated byfarmer organisations across theCaribbean in 2002.

CaFANs mission is to enhanceCaribbean food and nutrition security,foreign exchange earnings andforeign savings by repositioningagriculture through the capacitybuilding of farmers and theinstitutional strengthening of farmerorganisations.

Since its inception in 2002, CaFAN ismandated to speak on behalf of itsmembership and to developprogrammes and projects aimed atimproving livelihoods. CaFAN alsofocuses on market led sustainablemechanisms and structures, workingin collaboration with all stakeholdersin the agriculture sector to thestrategic advantage of its farmers.

CaFAN member farmers

organisations are directly involved inproduction and marketing for thedomestic, regional and extra regionalmarkets.

CaFAN member countries areAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas,Barbados, Belize, Dominica,Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & theGrenadines, Suriname and Trinidad& Tobago, with Haiti and DominicanRepublic pending review.

In 2006, the Eastern CaribbeanTrading Agriculture and DevelopmentOrganisation (ECTAD) based in St.Vincent and the Grenadines becamethe Secretariat and is responsible forthe implementation and coordinationof CaFAN programmes and activities.

Caribbean Farmers Network

C/o Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture

and Development Organization (ECTAD)

Beachmont, P.O. Box 827, Kingstown

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

[email protected] or [email protected]

www.caribbeanfarmers.org

Tel: (784) 453-1004 Fax: (784) 453-1239

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the Food a

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Under the European Union All African Caribbean and Pacific Agricultural

Commodities Programme (EU AAACP)

However, the views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the

official opinion of FAO or the EU AAACP.

Documents

CaFAN Newsletter Issue No_9