Agriculture

Definition
• Like Industry, it is a man-made system which
exploits the natural environment.

• It is the cultivation of crops and the rearing of

animals for the production of food, clothes
and other essential materials that man needs.
 Importance of agriculture to the Caribbean

1. It contributes to the GDP and to export earnings.

2. It contributes to the domestic food supply.

3. It provides employment.

4. It is a source of industrial raw materials (eg. In the

manufacture of rum).

5. It generates income for families in rural/agricultural

areas.
 Recent Trends
1. There has been a steady decline in the
workforce from 50% in previous years to
under 25%. This is due to many leaving the
farms to work in the service sector.

2. Agricultural exports has decreased sharply.

On average in 2001, agricultural exports was
about 2 million tonnes.
3. Exports like sugar and bananas have
stagnated due to international restrictions/
changes in world markets while tourism, light
manufacturing and offshore financial and IT
services have become more important.
• We will now look at two types of farming in
the Caribbean: Peasant farming and Plantation
agriculture (commercial arable).
 Non-Commercial Small Farming
• a small farm as a non-commercial operation, is
usually between 5 and 40 acres.

• Crops are grown mainly subsistence.

Peasant Farming
 Definition
• This is the predominant type of farming in the Caribbean.

• A Peasant Farmer is simply an agricultural worker who

has a very low standard of living. He also has very little
formal education.

• The purpose of the crops grown are for…

(a) Subsistence use
(b) For sale in the market and possibly for export.
 Origin of Peasant Farming
• It developed after the abolition of African
Slavery when the freed Africans removed
themselves as far as possible from the
plantations.

• However, they continued to practice their skill

of farming to provide for themselves and to
earn a living.
 Characteristics
1. The farm which the peasant works is no more
than 6 hectares (max), and usually occupies
land considered unsuitable for large scale
farming.

2. He is considered ‘resource-poor’ – little

machinery is used.

3. His labourers consist of himself and his

immediate family; each doing a distinctive job.
4. The farmer also supplements his income by
rearing animals.

5. He has very little to NO capital ($$$$) to

invest in his farm.

6. He grows a variety of small crops.

 Challenges & Problems
• LACK OF CAPITAL ($$$)

• Areas where peasant farms are located have

badly developed infrastructure: eg. Poor roads
or no electricity.

• The farmer spends a lot to transport his

goods, hence he has to increase his selling
price.
• The size of his farm his small and this hinders
him from really maximizing his production.

• He is SERIOUSLY affected by praedial larceny -

‘pipers’ cost him thousands of dollars in losses
due to stolen goods.

• Soil Erosion & Soil Impoverishment (due to

improper land use) over time results in
decreased crop yields and harvests.
• He suffers terribly from Climatic extremes
such as Hurricanes, Droughts, Storms, flooding
(if on low areas).

• Pests (insect and otherise) and crop diseases.

Eg. The Hibiscus Mealy Bug (which attacks
plants), the Giant African Snail.
 Solutions to help Peasant Farmers
1. Purchase or acquire large land holdings.

2. Establish lending agencies such as the ADB

(Agricultural development Bank) which can
make capitol available to the farmer.

3. Establish guaranteed prices for the crops

grown (to prevent price fluctuations).

4. Improve the infrastructure and transport links.

• The government can also subsidize certain
items that the farmer needs OR provide items
for free.
 Commercial Arable Farming
• This is the production of agricultural goods/
crops for sale/ profit.

• It is the opposite to Subsistence farming

(growing crops for personal use only).
 Plantation Agriculture
• A type of farming that
comes under
Commercial Arable
farming.

• It involves the planting of

a single cash crop
(Monoculture) on an
extensive scale mainly
for export.
 Description
• The term is mainly associated with the
production of tropical and subtropical crops.

• Bananas, coffee, cocoa, cotton, palm oil, rubber,

spices, sugar and tea.
 Origin
• This type of agriculture was introduced to the
Caribbean by the European settlers. The plot of land
was called a ‘plantation’.

• Initially tobacco, coffee and indigo was grown, but

sugar cane soon became the cash crop.

• The labour force (enslaved Africans and later the

indentured labourers) were carefully controlled and
supervised.
 Characteristics
1. It involves significant capital investment.
(Machinery has to be purchased and
maintained, workers paid, and pests and
diseases have to be controlled).

2. Land holdings range from 6 acres to 40,000

acres. Very large expanses of land are used,
and the land tenure (ownership) is usually by
a rich farmer, company or even the
government.
3. Machinery is widely used as the land is FLAT.
The combined harvester is used. Other types
of machinery are tractors, and even simple
tools like the cutlass are used.
4. The crops grown are for export. This type of
agriculture makes up the body of crops
involved in agro-industry, the products of
which are exported.

• Plantation agriculture is therefore EXPORT

ORIENTED and earns for the island states
valuable foreign exchange.