3.7.11 Institutional assistance to the cottage industry

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There are several local institutions, Government and non-Government, that have given support and assistance to the micro-industries in Guyana. Some of the more popular ones are:

1)Institute of private enterprise development (iped): The IPED, formerly Institute of Small Enterprise Development (ISED) was established in 1985 as an independent non-profit development organization. The Institute aims at assisting at the micro-level where persons lack finance to develop their ideas and skills. The areas of priority are industrial or manufacturing projects which include agroprocessing and small artisanal service-oriented activities. The services offered by IPED are illustrated in Table V.

The IPED provides loans up to G$ 600,000 (US$ 125) for groups and G$ 400.000 for individuals, and in foreign currency up to US$ 3,500 for the procurement of machinery, equipment and other inputs. Since 1986, the Institute has financed and harnessed the energies of 1 053 entrepreneurs, creating approximately 4 700 new jobs. However, only 72 loans were approved for the agro-industry.

2)New Guyana Marketing Corporation: NGMC is a Government corporation which facilitates the exportation of non-traditional agricultural commodities and is also involved in the promotion of processed agri-produce for domestic and export purposes. The organization was involved in co-ordination of shipments of 2.5 tonnes of commodities in bane to Holland (Table IV) in 1987. However, the shipping lines stopped coming to Guyana shortly afterwards and the market was no longer accessible. Table IV also reveals that export of primary commodities increased by approximately 100 per cent in 1988. The increase in the 1990 figures is a reflection of the improvements in sea transportation leaving Guyana. The organization has, through the years, conducted market research and prepared crop profiles on specified crops together with addressing the issue of reliable and efficient transportation for exporters of fresh and processed commodities.

3)Guyana Manufacturing and Industrial Development Agency (GUYMIDA): GUYMIDA is a Government agency established in 1984. Its role is to take all steps necessary or desirable for the establishment, promotion and development of the manufacturing industry in Guyana. The Agency undertakes any activity that can lead to the establishment, expansion or rehabilitation of a manufacturing or industrial enterprise. However, more emphasis is placed on projects which provide high manufacturing value-added and/or foreign exchange savings or earnings.

4)Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST): The Institute's objectives are to assist in the improvement of life in Guyana in industry, agro-industry, medicine and food products. Within the agro-industry department, there are the agro-engineering and Food Science units. The agro engineering unit designs and develops prototype machines for farmers and food manufacturers while the food science unit provides assistance in product development, using extrusion technology. Assistance is also offered to food manufacturers in the analysis of their products (chemically and microbiologically). The IAST has designed several pieces of equipment for peanut processing and a pilot extraction plant for the extraction of essential oils from plants; developed a refined method for the production of white cheese; and experimented with the use of several.

Table 2. Volume of primary processed export from Guyana

Source: "New" Guyana Marketing Corporation - Annual Reports

5) Women's Affairs Bureau (WAB) The WAB is the policy making body of the Government for all matters pertaining to women. This body provides guidelines within the national framework for planning, training, technical assistance and research on women's affairs. It is also responsible for the general co-ordination and monitoring support for programmes which are designed to promote the integration of women. Since its establishment in 1980, the WAB has trained a number of women in various skills, with collaborating assistance from other agencies.

During 1985-1987, the Bureau, with assistance from Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), conducted several programmes in small business management, throughout the country. In 1989, under a USAID PL 480 programme, the Bureau financed several training programmes in food processing and preservation techniques, where 38 women benefitted. In 1990, the Bureau worked closely with the NGMC in conducting workshops/seminars in small-scale processing techniques, funded by FAO. In 1990, also, the Organization began operating a revolving loan fund financed initially by UNICEF to the amount of G$ 494,100. Women groups and individual women are able to borrow from the fund to finance their business activities. The loan ceiling is $ 10,000 per person or group, but some flexibility is allowed, depending on the nature of the project. So far, the fund has disbursed loans to 45 women, mainly for fruit processing and presentation, and fish and meat presentation.

6) Carnegie School of Home Economic (CSHE): Apart from the formal training offered in home management, catering and food-and-nutrition, the school has been active in promoting new and varied ways in which many local foods could be utilized. This has been done through evening classes in food preparation and preservation, food demonstrations and exhibitions, production of recipe books such as What's Cooking in Guiana.'

7) Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA): This association runs an early schoolleavers programme for young women who have dropped out of the school system. It also conducts evening classes in cookery, cake decoration and preservation. The association has also, through the years, been very active in the promotion of local food utilization.

3.7.12 Government's policy

A. Policy and perspectives

In the 1970's, when the Government launched a campaign to promote national selfsufficiency, the aim was to reduce the dependence on imported food, develop the industrial sector and increase employment opportunity. The campaign was reinforced by policies and administrative measures which gave preference to locally produced commodities over imported items. The results of the campaign demonstrated the potential for the development of the agro-industries.

Several small and medium enterprises were established, producing a variety of agro-based manufactured commodities and utilizing, as far as possible, locally produced raw materials. The supportive policies for the development of agro-industries included the provision of fiscal and other incentives for the establishment of new and expansion of existing businesses and imposing import restrictions on several commodities. Duty free concessions were allowed for equipment imported for use in the agricultural sector and subsector.

There is an annual Presidential Award Programme initiated to provide incentives for the six categories within the manufacturing sector:

• dynamic small business
• champion exporter
• champion import substitutes
• science and technology
• market penetration and market development

3.7.13 Extension service and training

As mentioned earlier, there are several Government institutions involved in extension and training in processing and preservation techniques. The IAST, GPAC and CSHE are Government institutions involved in research and development for the food industry.

3.7.14 The future of the small agro industries

The small industry in Guyana, without doubt, has the potential to grow and develop into one of the most viable economic entities. However, if the industry is to move forward and achieve this status, several problems have to be addressed quickly.

3.7.15 Production

One of the main problems is the industry's inability to produce in large enough volumes on a consistent basis, even to meet the domestic market needs. The export market activities are sporadic and insignificant, despite the lucrative potential on the would's market horizon. Far too many of the small industries in Guyana are established and operate in and around the city, thereby requiring that most of the raw materials to be transported over long distances and under very adverse conditions. This has resulted in a lot of spoilage, waste and, of course, inevitably high prices for the products. The rural population, therefore, needs to organize themselves more into commercial enterprises to be better able to efficiently utilize the available raw materials within their regions, and to capitalize on and maximize the multifarious and rewarding local and overseas marketing opportunities fast waiting to be grasped.

3.7.16 Resources

The industry has suffered from the lack of adequate resources, certainly financial and physical; but, most importantly, the human resource of foresight and proper planning has been terribly and sadly lacking. On the financial aspect, entrepreneurs, generally, need capital to upgrade and expand their businesses. However, many development finance institutions lend at very high interest rates which are out of the reach of many microentrepreneurs. Further, money that is made available through funding, from local and external sources, has certainly not been allotted for cottage industry development purposes. The cottage industry has developed over the years through tradition born of the initiative of many an enterprising rural housewife.

Lending institutions should be encouraged to re-think their allocation modality to include the cottage industry as a major area for funding in the advancement of agroindustrial development in the Region. Indeed, the "Women in Development" funding focus should be expanded to include the cottage industry for major consideration. Concomitantly, the governments in the Region should accept this area as being of high priority for agro-industrial development and should, therefore, restructure their programmes and policies to capture this new perspective. The physical constraints, as well as the natural propensities of the available land resources, have already been discussed. It cannot be over-emphasized, however, that exceedingly little has been done to really tap the vast resource potentials of the land, particularly in the rural and hitherto inaccessible regions.

3.7.17 Training

Even though training is a human resource based factor and should more properly have been considered under the Resources sub-head above, I think it is so important in the total agro-industrial context that it deserves separate treatment. Mention was made earlier of the depressing lack of foresight and proper planning in our approach to agroindustrial development. Perhaps this deficiency may be an indictment on our training regimes.

Nowhere in the curricula of our training institutions has serious emphasis been given to the area of small agro-industrial business development, particularly emphasizing the advancement of the cottage industry. As a result, our planners, administrators, technicians, extension workers, even down to farm-hands have little or no background nor interest in, nor predisposition to the treatment of the cottage industry as a significant priority area. Further, it is difficult to recall any student in the region opting for the cottage industry development as a post-graduate or specialist area for advanced studies. This is, indeed, a strange reality when are considers, as has been mentioned earlier on, the serious implications the cottage industry could have for economic development programmes in the Region.

Also, when one considers the present state of the economies of our separate countries in the Caribbean, there seems to be a crying need for intensive and extensive extension work to be organized and executed, targeting the production-rich hinterland areas for basic training in such areas as:

• preservation for export
• preservation for domestic use
• primary processing for industrial manufacturers
• basic handling and storage techniques
• basic management techniques
• basic marketing principles
• simple accounting
• preparation of simple project proposals

The possible topics are inexhaustible, and agencies such as the Adult Education Association (AEA), the Institute of Adult and Continuing Eduction (IACE), the "New" Guyana Marketing Corporation programmes -such as the Farmer's Notebook- should adjust their curricula and outreach to treat with these deficiencies. Of particular relevance in this regard must be the technology/technology transfer factor.

3.7.18 Technology

Indeed, technology, in this special context, should, for us, lead the way towards drastically transforming our eating habits, as it has been altering and influencing so many other areas of our cultural life. For the sake of our economic survival and growth as sovereign states, and as an Economic Community, perhaps, we need to see dehydrated bore and corilla on our supermarket shelves, powdered eddo, breadfruit flour, carambola-inbrine, mango chunks, etc. We still revel in the use of fresh foods, much to our economic detriment, while we import, eat and use the preserved commodities produced from cottage industries of the countries that have learnt the lessons we need now to follow quickly.

Indeed, our technology transfer methods, mechanisms and systems have been terribly irrelevant in large measure, very piecemeal and exhibitionistic in the little we have done so far in Guyana, particularly, and, I am sure, in much of the Caribbean, despite the many institutions and programmes with which we have been flattering ourselves. It seems to me a very strange phenomenon, indeed, that, despite the hugh sums of money we have been utilizing and still keep spending to set up and support massive institutions, such as the IAST, CSHE, NARI, CARDI and others, we have not yet been able to promote the development of a technological base that would cater for what I would call "professing for preservation ".

For almost all our economic and marketing related problems -inaccessibility to areas producing abundantly for waste or rot; lack of adequate storage and refrigerating facilities; unreliable shipping and airline resources to cater for the export of our agricultural produce- have been indicating that our attention, our efforts and our research development projects should be directed mainly, for the time being, towards processing for preservation. In so doing, we will be moving closer towards catching up on modem marketing strategies while, at the same time, utilising much of our hitherto unused resources, and encouraging the advancement of industry and new employment possibilities.

3.7.19 Communication network

Within the agro-industrial sector in the Region, there exists a range of technology and materials. Many countries have documented these activities. Because of the cultural and geographical similarities the technologies would be easy to adapt. Those institutions with stronger links in training, planning, financial and marketing in the sector within the Region should disseminate their experiences to others. Such Networking would help the sub-sector advance at a much greater pace; provide a practical, positive basis for research and development and engender meaningful, practical, action-oriented discussion such as this "Round-table" provides at this juncture.

The Circular Letter produced by the FAO Caribbean Technical Cooperation Network on Agro-industrial Development is, also, an excellent example of a media for the exchange of information and experiences, sharing of ongoing activities, and proposing and discussing programmes in a common industrial climate. The same principle needs urgently, as a matter of priority, to be adopted at the National level by institutions of common, mutually supportive focus.

3.7.20 Small business incentive legislation

Harris and Laurent (1989) suggested that the existing legislation within many of the CARICOM countries "...impinges on the progress and development of small enterprises and should be consolidated as an act in order to provide a special regime of incentives for small enterprise..."

Notwithstanding the positive, dynamic and progressive policy of the Guyana Government towards small business development and particularly in its incentive-based support at all levels for agro-industrial development enterprises, there has been no legislation enacted with a view towards directly establishing the special regimen of small business development and protecting, through certain legal, commercial and administrative measures made formal and incorrigible by an Act of Parliament and assented to, through CARICOM, by regional governments. This, I believe, is what the Harris and Laurent report seems to be suggesting, and, if adopted, would certainly mark an important step forward for agro-industrial development in the advancement of small business enterprises with the Region.

The FIT report (1988) stresses that "...more governments need to formally recognize the positive economic attributed od small business and articulate the same in policy documents ...". This might already be a norm in individual countries in the Region. But surely, regional governments, as one entity, need to give formal recognition in the form of a CARICOM statement, perhaps, to the significance of micro-enterprises, and pledging their support.

3.7.21 Conclusion

As I conclude, I must say that the problems highlighted and recommendations offered throughout this presentation are only what I considered very critical. It is my hope that these areas would stimulate project-oriented ideas for discussion and adoption, during the workshop sessions. The main theme of my discourse in the previous chapter has been, I hope, our great need in the Region to produce for preservation. Therein, I strongly believe, lies the crux of the agro-industrial and economic development woes we have been and are experiencing in our separate countries in the Region.

The Government of Guyana had adopted and has been pushing the theme "produce or perish" as a rallying point for workers in the country. Well, we grasped the theme with both hands, so to speak, and produced to perish. We produced to our great peril; for tonnes of produce -fruit, vegetables and root crops- produced on a daily basis was left to rot and waste in sinful abandon, precisely because we, as a People, a Government, a Region, have not grasped the critical importance of, and developed the ethic, the culture, the policy of production for processing, and processing for preservation; in short, production for preservation.

Through stated policy and encouragement from Government, various agencies, Government and private, have been advancing and promoting small business development, including agro-processing development projects in a number of forms. Notwithstanding, we continue, to this day, our colonial culture of being primary and raw material producers. We continue to relish being the dumping ground for products (processed and manufactured) from Europe and other developed countries as V.S. Naipaul recognized and so succinctly lamented years ago in his The Mimic Men.

A sub-theme of my presentation has been that much of our agro-industrial small business and enterprise development efforts have not been focused enough. We have tended towards a piece-meal, disjointed, non-directional approach to our research and our projects in this regard. The cottage industry, the most potentially beneficial to our economies, have suffered most from this flaw in our planning and research.

Finally, I wish to propose that we do all in our capacity, jointly and individually, to ensure that this Roundtable is not relegated to being merely another "idea Bank". Perhaps we need, at the very inception of our discussions here, to resolve that, as we examine the experiences of each of our territories, we will ADAPT and ADOPT for progress and development and advancement of the Cottage Industries in our countries and, generally, for our national and Regional agro-industrial and economic development.

3.7.22 References

CARICOM SECRETARIAT. 1982. Food Processing in Guyana. IN: Meeting of Ministers with responsibility for the integration of Women in Development, 2nd.

F.I.T. CANADA. 1989. Beyond 1988; Proposals for action by Caribbean governments in promoting Small Enterprise Development in the Region.

HARRIS, M. AND LAURENT, S. 1989. The general issues and constraints affecting the development and growth of small business with respect to the access and utilization of the technological needs and opportunities for small enterprise development in the Caribbean.

"NEW" GUYANA MARKETING CORPORATION. 1987. The Role of the "New" Guyana Marketing Corporation.

"NEW" GUYANA MARKETING CORPORATION. 1988. Annual Report.

"NEW" GUYANA MARKETING CORPORATION. 1990 Annual Report.

3.8 Jamaica

Country presentation

Mr. Alwin Linch Director, Food Technology Institute Scientific Research Council

3.8.1 Introduction

The Jamaican situation is no different from the world picture. The economy continues to be plagued by an unfavourable imbalance between exports and imports. In response, the Government has prioritized the agriculture sector in its five year development plan and more recently adding a comprehensive food production drive. The primary concern is to provide adequate supplies of good quality food and at reasonable prices to meet the growing population needs. In parallel with this initiative, there is the countries compelling need to develop specifically the Agro industry sub sector-food processing in particular- to develop and produce exotic, traditional and non-traditional products for export, in order to earn much needed foreign exchange to met the expenses of its societal programmes. So great is the need to earn foreign exchange that special programmes are in place to seek, develop and ensure exports to traditional, nichie and ethnic markets.

However, with all the efforts, the agricultural sector is plagued with seasonal gluts, the end result being lost to farmers as prices obtained by them are much reduced, and loosed due to post harvest problems have yet to be solved. The application of science and technology to the prevention of post-harvest losses is not an area that has received much concentrated adaptive research from any one body. Commodity groups have taken on the research, but this is in keeping with the requirements of transportation, distribution, storage and marketing as it affects them. Thus, the problem of post-harvest losses in the area of fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers is now a priority, if Jamaica is to make use of the productive efforts of the new fruit orchards being put in, new farming programmes in the drive to produce more vegetables, roots and tubers.

Therefore, there is need for active post-harvest research work both at the University level, Ministry of Agriculture and in the Scientific Research Council, to supply information to farmers, exporters and the productive sector in general to overcome this problem of postharvest losses. Solving this problem would mean more available food to the agro-industry sector for processing and consistent prices to farmers and producers as volumes would be ensured, and economic productivity of factories assured.

3.8.2 Raw material

Jamaica produces and can grow many different varieties of fruits, vegetables tubers and roots. Today there are numerous fruit trees-orchards, citrus, papaya, mangoes, pineapples, passion fruits and many other tropical exotics. These orchards are operated by large and small farmers. These fruits are all either exported as fresh produce or consumed locally in the farmers market, super markets and in the agro-food processing industry, namely large canneries and a few cottage type industries.

The availability of root tubers, such as yams (Diascoriace) sweet potato (Ipomea batatas), coco, dasheen, cassava and others, are grown mainly by small farmers. Today much of these root and stem tubers are exported as non-traditional produce to ethnic markets, and certain niche markets.

3.8.3 Marketing

In Jamaica, the problem with agriculture is not the growing of the produce, but the distribution and marketing after harvesting. The Jamaican climate, soil and growing conditions are suitable for the cultivation of a wide variety of bleary exotic tropical fruits, vegetables roots and tubers. Land is available, as is labour, but harvesting and postharvest problems, and distribution is a major problem as much of these tropicals cannot be consumed fast enough, so much of it goes to waste. The local market consumes a lot of the exotic fruit crops harvested, but profitability is in the export market as fresh produce, and also the growing interest for exotic fruit and vegetable purees for the developed countries.

There needs to be put in place a central "terminal" market based on product intelligence from the farmer, so that the produce can be sold based on firm contracts with exporters, local supermarkets, local farmer's market, "higlers", local food processors and local and foreign commodity organizations. Farmers have no confidence in the present ad hoc system of marketing, refused to get tied down to contracts with exporters, local supermarkets, or local agro-food processors as these parties will because of economics buy outside of contracts in an effort to force farmers to sell at prices below contract. Farmers who are in coop commodities enjoy an assured market for their tropicals and citrus is one such crop that is enjoying good growth and stability of prices as a result of the coop.

However, the effect of deregulation of the Jamaican economy to one where "free" enterprise is encouraged to develop is yet to be realized. It is hoped that there will be very positive forward movement towards a more formal marketing system based on production and market intelligence, so that sales can be made before actual production of the produce.

The "freeing up" of the agricultural sector to encourage more persons into farming, by way of the free hold system is the direct commitment of the Government. Freehold, leasehold, mother farms, feeder farms, "satellite farms", are systems that have all been practiced in Jamaica.

The Government's Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) is the agency that will monitor agricultural growth in these systems from the "big" farmer to the "small" farmer, supplying information, technical advice, market intelligence. The Governmentowned facilities (farms) are mainly associated with experimental research, and also represent the reservoir for the countries genetic material and bank thereof. The island genetic diversity wilt be an important asset in the new strategy of increased production and reduction of post-harvest losses.

Jamaica has not made use of available science and technology information in preventing post-harvest losses. In fact, outside of work in the area of spices, there is no active research work or post-harvest laboratory studies carried out as a large project consistent with the country's progress in the development of orchard crops, winter vegetable production, and root and stem tubers. Such work is necessary in light of the move to remove the chemical treatment of produce to reduce spoilage during storage. The whole question of modified atmosphere, temperature and the application of these factors during produce storage is essential. In fact, we need to look at food irradiation as a quarantine and shelf life extension tool in light of the banning of Ethylene dibromide and the possibility of a ban on methylbromide. The country needs to make use of these technologies and storage strategies to reduce post-harvest losses.

In the agri-food industry sector, the Government has made this area a priority and has planned the expansion and relocation of the Food Technology Institute along modern tines. The new Institute wilt carry out adaptive research, aimed at reactivating the food processing industry. The Institute will also provide processing facilities for possible exporters of exotics where such equipment is not available anywhere else on the island. The Institute will prioritize its work in keeping with the country's needs. To this end, staff and facilities will be upgraded to carry our training at the tertiary level and the production shop floor level. Seminars and other training programmes will be put in place to improve the information system, to meet the technological needs of the country.

The Government has made available the agricultural marketing corporations processing/grading facility to exporters of fresh and processed foods. This Exporters Centre is a "clearing house" for receiving produce/products and inspection of these, and certification for export. A fumigation facility has been established at the Airport Inspection Centre here. There is in place USDA, and local Ministry of Agriculture inspection personnel for certification purposes.

The funding for agriculture expansion comes through many different agencies, with marketing information coming through the Ministry of Agriculture Marketing and Export Division and JAMPRO. Much of the funding made to small farmers is through Agricultural Credit Bank, Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation, Trafalgar Development Bank, all commercial banks and other Government agencies. Loans are of the standard type, ranging from crop loans to the long term loans heavily collaterized. Though, there is no shortage of loan funds; interest rates and the returns on investment have, however, prevented much of the investment activity through borrowings from these institutions.

With the growing concern about post-harvest losses much effort meeds to be put in place to reduce this type of loss. The Government has in place numerous programmes to assist the rural communities and the rural farm families. To be launched are community organizations that would do simple processing of products when they are in glut or in season. To this end, processes which do not require the use of fossil fuel as an energy source, will be targeted. The FTI has developed solar driers that are quite efficient, to dry fruits, vegetables and tubers. This programme has the potential of generating nonfarm rural employment in Jamaica. This is very important to the whole economic development and stability of the nation. The rural labour force -mainly women- is at a surplus level; and this type of community industry could provide gainful permanent employment not only at the primary crop stage, but also at the secondary stages providing value added benefits to the farmer and the community. The products generated from this programme would be centrally collected, subject to a rigid Quality Control system, proper packaging and markets.

3.8.4 An enhanced agro-food industry

The strategy which should guide the agro-industry trust in Jamaica is that of flexible specialization. Traditional import substitution to replace products imported from industrialized countries, should no longer be the inspiration for diversification in the agroindustry. The country needs to pursue a policy of endogenous development, harnessing its varied exotic raw materials and its labour force for strategic advantage. The idea is to use local raw material and capabilities, with market niches abroad. This type of project requires proper information from both ends of the agro-industry system. What this require is that local science and technology information network should be upgraded so as to foster rapid analysis of such information into knowledge for practical application, information on our raw materials, human resources, local/foreign markets opportunities, global trends are all part of the information package to improve the agroindustry. There must be proper planning with support systems in place. The Government and private sector must come together to support science and technology research and work in harmony for the good of the country.

3.9 St. Christopher-Nevis

Present status and future potential of the role of cottage industries in St. Chiristophor-Nevis

Mr. Charles Warrington Head, Agricultural Science Department, Cayon High School

The Government has embarked on a hot pursuit of development of the cottage industry. It is a worthwhile process which can help alleviate some of the problems we face in the island; but there are some technical problems which keep fighting down our efforts. This is mainly so in the development of fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers. Raw materials for the need of the cottage industry are available in the island, but because of the topography of it in relation to agricultural development, sometimes the industry is there at a steady pace and then, at other time, these same material are very difficult to find.

St. Kitts-Nevis mainly works with vegetables, like sweet peppers and cucumbers, and fruits. There is a basic problem with the marketing of the completed products because, as we cannot afford to supply outside markets at the rate and time they would like us to, we have to depend most of the time on our local market. However, the local people sometimes still prefer to go into a supermarket and purchase the same stuff we produce at home, from an overseas market, even though it costs them more. To make packaging a little cheaper, jams and jellies produced are usually placed in small jars and syrup and sauces in large bottles. At the moment, equipment and technology is not too much of a problem. There are other things which could be done but, because of the lack of modern technology, we are unable to put them into practice.

Financing of the cottage industry comes through the Ministry of Women's Affairs. As a matter of fact, the greater part of the people involved in this industry is women. In terms of training and extension, this work is often done by the help of the Extension Division of the Agricultural Department, which works jointly with the Ministry of Women Affairs. In terms of industrial policy perspectives, the Government industrial policy seeks to achieve the following:

a)To strengthen the institutional capability of those organizations (both public and private) engaged in investment promotion and industrial planning and development.
b)To actively foster conditions which serve to encourage the emergence and development of local entrepreneurs.
c)To develop and expand the required technical skills in such fields as equipment maintenance and engineering, construction, food processing and other areas relevant to industrial development.
d)To encourage the continued growth of employment opportunities.
e)To stimulate investment and joint ventures in those industries having the capability to increase foreign exchange earnings and savings.

During the initial stages of the plan period, substantial attention will be directed to the development of institutional cabality in such areas as technology management and application, human resources development, taxation review and organizational coordination.

Agro-industries are vital to any CARICOM country; but, for them to survive, there need to be a co-ordinated effort amongst each island. It is necessary to get together and work out a plan to solve the inconsistencies that come up in each area. Recommendations must be outlined, so that each island will not continue to make the same mistakes again and again.

The industrial plan should seek to generate direct additional employment opportunities for quite a number of persons on a variety of industries. The plan should presume and target substantial development for indigenous manufacturing, as well as the nurturing of the small business sector and cottage industries. Of central importance is the development of activities which will be based on export-oriented production, and which will also exploit opportunities for the import substitution.

The strategic elements are long term in perspective, building on science and technology for the 1990's. However, the major short term focus will be on cultivating a favourable climate for investment by providing adequate infrastructure, encouraging further development of the work force and ensuring the fullest involvement of nationals in order to further enhance the uninterrupted growth of industrial and commercial activities.

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