The 2008 Agricultural Digest - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural ...

MINISTER’SFOREWORDSenator, The Honourable Haynesley BennMinister of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentOver the past decade there has been a dearth of agricultural information in Barbados. A call hasbeen made from many quarters for there to be more consistent information available on whichwell-informed decisions can be made to address the various issues that confront the sector.Formerly, agricultural information could have been sourced through the Barbados MarketingCorporation’s BASIS Reports, with production data being made available through the annualpublication AGRIVIEW that was produced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.These publications were of great support to farmers providingthem with pertinent information, including the latest trendsin production, trade, prices and credit to the sector.This information went a long way in assisting the farmingcommunity with its planning, helping it not only to betterunderstand the changes occurring within the sector, butalso assisting the more industrious with capitalising on anyopportunities that may have been presented in thedomestic market. However, the production of these publicationsceased with the last volume of AGRIVIEW being produced andpublished in 1998.It is therefore a great honour and indeed a pleasure for meas the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development tointroduce to you the “Agricultural Digest”, the newest agriculturalpublication created by the Ministry to fill the voidthat was left by the defunct AGRIVIEW publication. I amsure that the launch of this publication, will address theinformation void by catering to the range of information needsof the Barbadian public, whether local farmers, individualsdesirous of undertaking research, or those merely interestedin developments related to the domestic sector. Unlike previouspublications, the Agricultural Digest provides not only datapresented in the form of tables, but also seeks to assist with theanalysis of data through the presentation of well constructeddiagrams and informative text.One addition that I am very pleased to note is the inclusionof a topical research article. This year’s Volume of the Publicationprovides a most interesting and appropriate research articleon rethinking the role of agriculture in the country’s economicgrowth and development. This article suggests that given emergingnational trends such as rising food prices and increased foodimports, the importance of local agriculture to the economyof Barbados must be revisited.I trust that this article will stimulate the reader to re-think the roleof the agricultural sector in Barbados and will invoke nationaldiscussions on how we as a nation can reposition the sectorso that it fulfils its mandate not only of food security,but also of poverty alleviation.I wish to take this opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation tothe staff of the Agricultural Planning Unit for taking the initiative toproduce such a well-designed and informative publication.Volume 1Agricultural Digest | 20081