St. Vincent and the Grenadines will shortly benefit greatly from the Caribbean Agricultural Productivity Improvement Activity (CAPA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).The program aims to increase food security by increasing fruit and vegetable output, strengthening buyer and input supplier ties with farmers, and upgrading level extension services.
The Initiative comprises three interrelated components with each carrying specific roles to positively impact smallholder farmers, enterprises and consumers across the region. Objective one : seeks to increase smallholder market-led production of fruits and vegetables, Objective two: improving domestic and regional market linkages for smallholder farmers and Objective three: Strengthen public/private sector extension skills, capacity and systems to transfer best practices to smallholder farmers.
The 3-year, $5.3 million USAID programme will utilise an integrated value chain approach. The project will incorporate the inclusion of on-farm technologies, such as shade houses and climate smart practices to fortify production and practical storage solutions to maintain shelf life.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, Saboto Caesar met with officials of USAID and IESC on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 to cement further the CAPA that will be launched here in October. Minister Caesar stressed the importance of the collaborative effort to promote the growth and sustainability of the Agricultural sector, with an emphasis on exploring greater opportunities for the expansion of export markets through an international standardised framework.
CAPA will implement interventions in Guyana, Suriname, Dominica, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Project Manager Specialist, USAID, Durwin Humphrey emphasised that projects will cater to the main priorities of each country and noted that the ground work is being laid out which includes the collection of data.
CAPA is being implemented by Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Manager, Agriculture-led Growth, IESC, Rachel Posner and Regional Representative, Eastern and Southern Caribbean, USAID Mervyn Farroe were also present at the meeting.
