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5. Recommendations of the roundtable
On 8 November 1991, the participants at the Roundtable agreed to the following:
1)In the CARICOM countries, the extent of postharvest losses of fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers varies from 20 per cent to 50 per cent of the fresh produce depending on the type of raw material. The need to reduce these losses is considered as a priority, in order to increase volumes and improve the quality of the produce.
2)The development of small commercial enterprises through the introduction of small scale processing should help to reduce postharvest losses and to generate employment in rural areas.
3)The activities conducted in the CARICOM countries under the umbrella of the Caribbean Technical Cooperation Network on Agroindustrial Development are recognized. Activities should be expanded with the objective of disseminating information to existing cottage industries in the rural areas. To facilitate the process, each country will provide the names and addresses of entrepreneurs in rural areas to whom the Circular Letter will be sent. It will also be sent to the national focal point who would send the Letter to representatives of perspective cottage industries.
4)Training of farmers and agroprocessors is required in all aspects of cottage industries, i.e.: production, packaging, labelling, marketing and postharvest techniques.
5)This training would be carried out at CARIRI/Trinidad and Tobago and at the Food Technology Institute in Jamaica, as well as at other appropriate institutions. Current training courses, existing training courses canted out by UWI, CEPAT and by the CDB's, CTES programme, should be expanded to include small scale agroprocessing. Funds for training should be provided by international agencies such as FAO.
6)Cottage industries should operate along sound business principles. Relevant local agencies, such as industrial development corporations and development banks, should be encouraged to provide business counseling and extension services to cottage industries through field officers, in order to promote sustainable business operations.
7)There is a need for financial development institutions to obtain project profiles of cottage industries for financing. CARIRI can be approached for assistance in providing models of these profiles. Funds should be made available for development of cottage industry profiles for interested countries.
8)Efforts should be made to encourage special rates of interest on existing loan facilities for cottage agroindustries, i.e. low interest, little or no collateral.
9)In addition, FAO should seek to establish trust funds on cooperative agreements with specialized international agencies (UNICEF, DAF, World Bank, EEC, IDB), which provide appropriate low interest/grant funds for cottage industries.
10)Non-governmental organizations should also be approached to access funds on behalf of cottage industries in their countries.
11)Bearing in mind that the availability of reasonably priced packaging is a constraint in many countries, there is need for central, local or regional facility for importing and selling a variety of packaging material to small agroprocessors. This would be an interim measure aimed at facilitating the availability of packaging materials in countries where no manufacturing of packaging material exists. This should stimulate entrepreneurship in packaging within the private sector in these countries.
12)Where packaging is unavailable, due to lack of appropriate technology, i.e. package molds, efforts should be made to standardize and produce packaging efficiently for the region. Since poor tabelting is common throughout the region, there is need for special attention to be paid to this aspect of agroprocessing. Cottage industries should consult the appropriate technical institutions in each country for advice before designing labels for their products. Marketing expertise for small agroprocessors is lacking throughout the region. External funding is required to provide a marketing advice for short term attachment to the countries in the region.
13)The Regional Network should be expanded, so as to provide for the proper exchange and dissemination of information on successful cottage agroindustries. The onus should be placed on the national governments to ensure the success and viability (long term) of this Network. Specific technology developed in various regional institutions should be exchanged via an identified network representative in each country. Newsletters should be exchanged on a regular basis. Exhibitions may be held annually in different countries each time, highlighting successful cottage industries.
14)The University of the West Indies (UWI) should be accessed to provide information on research which has been conducted in food technology. Other regional and extra-regional organizations should also be accessed for relevant information on food technology.
15)A regional (CARICOM) project should be embarked upon for cottage industry development in rural areas. A regional coordinator should be appointed to supervise this project. The necessary support facilities (e.g. training) for the project need to be set up. The regional coordinator, after receiving inputs from the Caribbean countries on the nature of the project will decide on the project and submit it for financing to donors.
16)Appropriate, proven and inexpensive technology should be disseminated through all CARICOM countries via both the press and radio media. The portable processing kit demonstrated by FAO is regarded as a useful tool.
17)There is a need for an inventory of available small-scale processing equipment: where such can be purchased and other general information on technology.
18)There is a need for continuity in the transfer of technology, so that countries may be kept informed of the available technology. Teachers and the education system need to become involved in agro industry extension. Agroprocessing should be worked into the school curriculum (via the Food and Nutrition and/or Home Economics Programmes). NGOs should also be involved in this extension service.
19)There is a need to standardize quality in agroprocessing products. In this regard, Standards Bureaux should be established in countries where they do not currently exist. Where CARICOM standards exist, they should be used as guidelines and where there are no CARICOM standards, international standards such as ISO and FAD/WHO Codex Alimentarius standards, should be adopted.
20)The quality control laboratories, mandated with policy and ensuring food standards need to be strengthened to the level where they are able to adequately and competently perform their function.