Project Overview
OVERVIEW
Agriculture remains an important source of income and employment in the economy of St Lucia as 12,300 persons, representing 11.4% of the country’s work force are actively engaged in the sector.
Banana, St Lucia’s main agricultural crop, has been severely impacted by globalization, changes in the European market, extreme weather events, and poor production practices. Production declined from 135,291metric tonnes in 1992 to 33,926 metric tonnes in 2009. The decline in exports to Europe was partially compensated for by increased exports to the region and increased sales to local supermarkets and hotels. Data for 2009 also suggests that efforts at agricultural diversification are bearing fruit, evidenced by a 27% increase in production of non-banana crops; an expansion in output in the fisheries sector by 9.6%; and increases in pork and egg production.
Sectoral growth is constrained by the high costs of inputs, including labor; limited access to financing; poor agricultural practices; weak production planning; unfavourable weather conditions and extreme weather events; the ageing population of farmers and low youth participation; low rate of technology adoption; and weak supporting structures and systems, including support services targeted to young farmers.
The project supports the implementation of a wider Government of St Lucia (GOSL) youth development programme. The main objective of the project is to establish a youth agricultural entrepreneurship incubator program and an enabling environment that attracts and sustains the participation of the youth in commercial agriculture. The project targets an initial cohort of 150 young people and includes:
• Land acquisition.
• Selection and capacity building of participants.
• Establishing a dedicated CDF youth in agriculture Line of Credit at the St Lucia Development Bank.
• Developing and operationalizing a system for the coordinated delivery of support services - mentorship, access to credit, land allocation, land development, production planning and marketing, access to appropriate equipment and technology (including greenhouse production); access to business and technical advisory services.
