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4. Summary of the roundtable presented by the chairman and rapporteur
On 8 November 1991, the participants at the Roundtable agreed to the following:
From the Roundtable discussion, it was clear that the primary concern expressed by all was to provide adequate supplies of good quality food and that produce and products be made available at reasonable prices to meet basic population needs. Programmes to increase agricultural production have been made a priority by all countries, but because of the lack of proper information, distribution, marketing, postharvest treatment and packaging, there are still considerable postharvest losses, resulting in low productivity and high prices to the consumer.
In parallel with these initiatives, most countries felt that there is a compelling need to develop the agro-food industry sector and in particular a cottage agro-food industry in the rural areas where primary production is taking place, thus reducing postharvest losses. This type of development will also contribute to the economy of the farmers, rural communities, and ultimately, the country through the value added benefits to be derived from the successful implementation of such a project.
In spite of the above, most countries highlighted the following constraints.
1) Production
The seasonal nature of agricultural production resulting in gluts
and unplanned production was found to be a major contributor to
the postharvest problem. There is a high per unit cost of raw
material, low productivity and the lack of an appropriate pricing
policy for the agroprocessing subsector. Example includes
tomatoes in The Bahamas, mangoes in Jamaica and nutmeg in
Grenada.
Information from all countries on the question of contract farming got mixed reviews, as some farmers and contractors break contracts for economic gains; in general, a lack of trust exists between the farmer and food processors.
2) Dissemination of information
The inadequate dissemination of information to the agricultural
sector concerning cultivation practices, land preparation, pest
control, and proper land usage, all affect the primary production
stage and, therefore ultimately, the productivity.
The problem of low productivity also includes inadequate distribution and marketing. Information on postharvest treatment and packaging are lacking also, and onmarket intelligence does not reach the producers in a timely manner. Consequently, there are no buyers and the farmers are forced to sell just to recover cost or lose the crop.
3) Marketing
Marketing was a primary concern of all countries, as market
intelligence was missing in the sector both for fresh produce and
cottage industry. There is need for improvement in the packaging
material and the concept of labelling.
4) Policy and incentive
Governments need to be committed to policies which support
cottage industries. This will facilitate effective projects or
programmes to enhance production and efficient utilization of the
primary produce.
5) Target groups
Community groups and particularly women need to be involved in
all areas of the production, therefore the planning process
should recognize their contribution to economic development.
6) Financing
There is a lack of adequate funds to finance agroprocessing
activities.
7) Organizational structure
Most countries described a lack of an organized structure with
the appropriate linkage to promote and support agrobusiness.
8) Institutions and human resources
These have been described as both weak and inadequate and need to
be strengthened, both through national and international
assistance.