Ayodele’s Vision Of A Sustainable Business - Farming ...assets.wusc.ca/WUSCwebsite/propel-case-studies.pdf · the insurance business and had observed Antiguan farmers enjoying a

In 2010, Ayodele Sampson, a 32 year old single-parent and mother of two, returned to her homeland of Guyana with the intention of becoming a successful farmer. She had been living abroad, working in the insurance business and had observed Antiguan farmers enjoying a successful livelihood. Ayodele had the advantage of access to a 37 acre family farm on Trollie Island (Region 3 on the Essequibo River, West Demerara), which had been idle for 16 years. Upon her return, she shared her vision with the family, friends and the community and quickly learnt that the main crop grown in the region and the one in highest demand was plantains. “I traded in my sophisticated working attire and image for long boots and farming tools, this was not an environment that I was not accustomed to”. Without experience and despite the doubts of some of her family, Ayodele began farming plantains, cultivating 3 acres in her first year.

“It was challenging understanding the agronomy of the plantain crop and the marketing of the produce, as a newcomer and a woman, the middlemen often took advantage of me offering me the lowest price for the plantains”

This was not the best time to become a Plantain Farmer in Guyana as most farmers were suffering heavy losses due to diseases and pests including Black Sigatoka (a leaf disease that has caused a significant decrease in the production of plantains since 2009), Moko, Corn borer and Nematodes.

In 2014 Ayodele learnt, by word of mouth from fellow farmers, about the PROPEL sponsored Plantain Management Program. The program was advertised as open to existing plantain farmers who were already cultivating plantains on a minimum of a half an acre or at least 300 suckers. Ayodele was quick to apply to participate and was accepted into the program in April, 2014.

Ayodele’s Vision Of A Sustainable Business - Farming Plantains In Guyana

PROPEL CASE STUDY #1

At the time, few farmers had the knowledge necessary to manage the pests, diseases and nutrition of their plantain crop and far less, the desire to invest in the purchase of pesticides and fertilizers needed to minimize those losses.

With help from fellow farmers, some family members and through trial and error, perseverance and eternal optimism, Ayodele was able to make enough to pay her workers and keep going.

Ayodele admits that participating in the PROPEL Plantain Management Program was a game-changer.

“As a result of the program, I can replicate what I have learnt. I am now able to manage the plantain cultivation and I have increased the average weight per bunch from 30 to 40 lbs., which increases my income. I have been able to build a house, purchase a boat and engine, travel and most importantly, ably provide for my family”. She elaborated that she has a deep sense of satisfaction and self-worth stemming from her transformation.

Ayodele currently has 8 acres cultivated in plantains with plans to increase production in the future.

As part of the this new program, Ayodele

• Attended a series of PROPEL/NAREI Workshops on the Production and Management of Plantains;

• Cultivated a half acre Action Oriented Research Plot (demonstration plot) and planted 300 disease-free suckers; • Tracked and utilized a “Tech Pack” consisting of fertilizers and pesticides specially prescribed for the management of diseases/pests and for the nutritional needs of the crop; and • Maintained a detailed Farm Diary provided by the

Project to chronicle her activities on the demonstration plot.

The project’s Agricultural Field Extension Officers regularly visited her farm to follow up and provide technical advice such as how to apply the pesticides and fertilizers .

Ayodele attends PROPEL workshop ( seated front left)

Ayodele practices farm sanitation “trashing” cleaning suckers of diseased leaves.

Up the end of September 2015, over 700 farmers in Guyana have participated in the Plantain Management Program offered by PROPEL in association with NAREI. Through this valuable technical assistance and the inputs provided, farmers are expected to practice what they have learnt, improve and increase production and share the knowledge with others. These producers will be better able to target high value markets due to the improved quality and more consistent supply of their produce.

opportunity for individuals and families to grow food. The project aimed to provide small farmers in targeted communities with technical training and practical support for the implementation of hydroponic and natural/organic cultivation practices on small farms or home gardens. From the project, Khemwattie received training and inputs such as : shade house plastic; shade net; 100 celery and 100 pakchoi seedlings ; and fertilizer for the life of the 2 crops, to start a new enterprise. In Year 1, she was using water in a solution with fertilizers and styrofoam sheets as an anchor for the plants on 4 (4 x 8 ft.) tables under shade. 2 months later she started using sand and paddy hull medium and added in 2 (4 x 18 ft.) boxes on the ground.

An “Enterprising Hobby” Becomes a Main Source of Income


Mrs. Khemwattie Ramnaraine is a 56 year old shade house entrepreneur from Perseverance, along the Essequibo coast of Guyana. Khemwattie loved gardening and caring for plants and had always kept a kitchen garden for the needs of her family. In 2008 the family moved onto a larger lot giving her the space needed to begin producing vegetables on a larger scale in an open field. Khemwattie was able to sell her produce including lettuce, celery, sweet pepper, tomato and eschallot with some success to households in her community. 4 years ago, Khemwattie became a beneficiary of the Partners of the Americas (PoA) Hydroponic Production in Guyana project. The project was created, in response to major flooding along coastal and river communities in 2005. Hydroponic shade houses with elevated trays were considered resistant to most floods and a good

After assessing the situation in 2014, the PROPEL team in Guyana saw the need to expose shade house farmers in Guyana to a higher level of technology and improved methods of Protected Agriculture. Working with PoA, PROPEL selected and facilitated six (6) producers, involved in the Protected Agriculture “Shade House” vegetable production, to visit Jamaica for 1 week in August 2014. Khemwattie was one of the producers selected to go to Jamaica to participate in a study tour to learn about the improved Protected Agriculture Systems being utilized there. The exercise was led by Mr. Alvin Murray, PROPEL’s Senior Agricultural Coordinator, a versed Agronomist. Khemwattie and the other participants visited shade houses, greenhouses, input suppliers and had an interactive session with representatives of the Rural Agriculture Development Agency (RADA) of Jamaica.

Khemwattie shows the PROPEL team she practices what she has learnt

“This new technology it is much easier than the traditional way of cultivating vegetables and I have been quite successful”.

“Now my crops do not die due to the heat and most importantly grow faster, bigger and have a healthier appearance when compared to the plants grown in my earlier shade house designs. Growing vegetables hydroponically has increased the shelf life and taste of the vegetables, which has captivated and increased my clientele”

Since her visit to Jamaica, Khemwattie has built 2 new 20 ft. x 100 ft. shade houses. Like many of the participants, she has applied what was learnt, modifying her systems to improve production. Khemwattie expressed, “I was intrigued and motivated by what I learnt. That trip was great, it was a real eye opener, I wanted to practice everything I saw there, I was so impressed. The thing is, the technology I saw requires a lot of money to invest and I don’t have that kind of money, but in my own small way, I am using what I learnt, I am very happy with the results and I am making money”.

In May, 2015 Mr. Murray visited Guyana to follow up on the study tour and engage with producers who were utilizing Protected Agriculture Systems to improve the development and management of their facilities. The training program was designed to allow producers to visit and observe practices of existing Protected Agriculture Systems and to allow participants to question and gather technical knowledge based on their shared observations. The session was attended by 25 persons, including Khemwattie and the 5 others who visited Jamaica in 2014. PoA was instrumental in the selection of participants for both interventions and helped facilitate the additional training.

She added “with PROPEL’s intervention I have new insights and I am better able to manage the issues of pests and diseases. PROPEL has also helped me to master the hydroponic system as a business. I pay more attention to business decision making, costs, revenue, profits, which crops offer the best profit potential and I understand how the decisions that I make, or do not make, affect my profitability. I now have a holistic understanding of agronomy and farm economics”. Today, Khemwattie reaps twice a week an average of 25 parcels of pakchoi; 100 hears of lettuce; and during the life of the tomato crop, she harvest’s 600 lbs of tomato from 2 beds. She sells her prized vegetables to consolidators (middlemen) as well as at the local market. When asked about the profitability of her business she shared, “Let us put it this way, my husband had a stroke and could not work much before he passed away 2 months ago. From the proceeds of the garden, I paid all the bills in the house, I employed my grandson and I am able to invest in expansion of my hydroponic cultivation. I am very happy with what I earn. There is no turning back, this is profitable. I have the training and know how, and I am motivated to do this right. There is nothing from which I cannot bounce back. I only wish that my husband, who was very supportive of me going to Jamaica through PROPEL, could have been around to benefit more from this.

With the extension of her shade house system and modifications made to the design: Khemwattie increased the height of the houses; she added shade mesh to reduce the amount of heat that enters; and added a vent to its roof to allow hot air to escape, Khemwattie has significantly reduced the heat stress on the plants which was affecting her production. Hot shade houses are one of the most common shade house issues in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Khemwattie’s vented shade house

Hydroponic cultivation using nutrient solution

produce and they generally get a higher return on their investment than selling to wholesalers or at the open market. CFL currently imports approximately 50% of its fresh produce. According to the CFL’s Perishables Manager, Mr. Dunstan Demille,

“CFL’s policy is to buy local first and import what we cannot produce in St. Lucia. Nevertheless, one of the biggest challenges CFL faces today, is with the quality and availability of fresh produce. CFL has had to depend on some imports to fulfill demand at their supermarkets.”

CFL manages a chain of the largest supermarkets on the islands of St. Lucia and St. Vincent, where it enjoys 70% market share of the retail supermarket business. It’s stated aim has been to supply these markets with high quality food and non-food products, while supporting the local agricultural and manufacturing industries and the communities. Approximately 300 farmers in St. Lucia supply CFL on a consistent basis. While CFL insists on high quality produce, it is an important market for farmers as CFL has the capacity to buy large quantities of


From “farm to fork”, Consolidated Foods Limited (CFL) engages local farmers to ensure consistent, high quality fresh produce for their supermarkets.

(L-R) CFL’s, Dunstan Demille in the field with WUSC Agronomist, Julius Polius and Local Farmer, Rafael “Freedom” Gaston

In June 2013, PROPEL sponsored a CaFAN Buyer/Grower Forum in St. Lucia which Mr. Demille was one of the key note speakers and a facilitator. At the Forum, he invited private sector buyers to identify their priorities for fresh produce and farmers in turn to highlight their needs for secure contracts, better payment terms and technical assistance to assist with the production of new varieties of produce as demanded by the buyers. The farmers left the meeting with a short list of fresh produce items in high demand from buyers and a commitment from PROPEL to assist with technical assistance as needed.

To make good on its promise to farmers, PROPEL and CFL has been working with farmers in St. Lucia. In December of 2014, 16 farmers were selected by CFL to engage in vegetable value-chain trials with PROPEL’s support. Demonstration plots for the production of some of the high demand vegetables were created. CFL agreed to purchase all of the resulting fresh produce from the vegetable trials while PROPEL provided the farmers with the seedlings, select inputs and technical assistance.

1 of the 10 Supermarkets and a Club Store operated by CFL in St. Lucia – Photo (The Voice),

September 2015

“Our value chain approach is a win/win, not just for the farmers and CFL but also for the consumers. The technical assistance from WUSC assisted the farmers in achieving better yields and quality. It also empowered them in the adoption of better crop management practices. Our customers had the opportunity to purchase a number of locally produced items that they would not normally get at our stores. The feedback received from the customers on the products were all positive”

The CFL/PROPEL vegetable trials in St. Lucia saw 5.5 acres of land cultivated across 16 farms in 2015. This has yielded EC$34,095 to date. Since the inception of the PROPEL project, the team has been engaging CFL and Dunstan Demille in their private sector consultations. Mr. Demille is also an active member of the PROPEL Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC).

Tomatoes, watermelons, beets, sweet peppers, broccoli, string beans, red cabbage, swiss chard, cauliflower and romaine lettuce were planted in the trials. PROPEL conducted soil testing and provided technical assistance such as pest and disease identification and mitigation measures, fertilizer usage, water use efficiency, as well as monitoring of the crops through the life cycle. Unfortunately, drought frustrated the efforts on some of the open field crops cultivated. One farmer, Marcus Gustave, who used protected agriculture practices, was very successful. He said “The good yields I got was because of the better control that I had over water, heat and pests and diseases in the green-house, when compared with the open fields.”

All of the produce was purchased by CFL. Despite the drought, most of the farmers who had participated in the trials, plan to continue and expand the volumes of produce to be supplied to CFL to satisfy their customer’s requirement for year round supplies of fresh produce. PROPEL has been using the demonstration plots to train other interested farmers. WUSC agronomist, Julius Polius explained, “ Climate change remains a challenge for farmers, especially in the small island states. However with proper water management, good agricultural practices, improved seed and fertilizer regimes, we can mitigate some of its effects. It is critical we produce more locally grown, fresh vegetables as this will improve the general health of the local population and of course St. Lucia’s food security ”. When asked about the trials, Mr. Demille explained that CFL remains committed to sourcing fresh produce from local producers and stated: Mr. Demille (in a green shirt) attending the SAC in St. Lucia (August 2015)


Since the turn of the century, agriculture in St. Lucia has been in decline. According to a 2010 EU Report, between the period of 1999 to 2007 there was a 42% reduction in the acreage in agriculture and in the past decade, more than 50% reduction in the number of men and women employed in the sector. The dwindling agricultural sector accounts for less than 4% of GDP and most of that has been dominated by the banana industry. Despite this trend, demand for fresh produce on the local market is rising, especially to meet demand from the growing tourism industry. The agricultural sector and the government of St. Lucia have been actively looking for ways to diversify and promote domestic food production for national food security.

Potato trial produces a high quality table potato and a new opportunity for farmers in St. Lucia

Following up on successes with PROPEL’s potato development programs in Jamaica, the PROPEL team determined that St. Lucia, with its fertile soils and cool mountainous terrain, would be a good fit for potato production. While some St. Lucian farmers have had experience producing roots and tubers, especially sweet potatoes, dasheen and yams, over the years production has dwindled as many farmers migrated to banana production or out of farming altogether. Early in 2015, CFL, a strategic partner that manages the largest chain of supermarkets on the island, was approached to work with PROPEL to encourage farmers to grow potatoes in St. Lucia. CFL is an important buyer of fresh produce in St. Lucia and Perishables Manager, Mr. Dunstan Demille, was excited by the challenge and was quick to come on board, promising to purchase all of the potatoes produced in the trial.

WUSC Agronomist Julius Polius and “Freedom” work side by side in the potato fields

Minister of Agriculture at the launch and taste testing of the Potato trials. View at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUNCCpsVH-c

The PROPEL/CFL program involved a trial to evaluate three varieties of potatoes to determine their suitability for production in St. Lucia. PROPEL provided the seeds and the varieties, which included Challenger, Chieftain and Spunta. CFL’s Mr. Demille and PROPEL agronomist, Julius Polius, worked together to find the suitable areas and producers for the trial. Mr. Raphael “Freedom” Gaston’s Farm at Desraches, Soufriere was selected as it is at 1,900 feet above sea level and enjoys cooler night temperatures which are required for optimum tuberization of potatoes. The potatoes were planted in mid February and were harvested in mid May. Throughout the crop cycle, PROPEL provided technical guidance on land preparation, planting, pest and disease control and fertilizer use. Farmer “Freedom” Gaston stated,

Consolidated Foods Limited (CFL) onboard with potato pilot program

PROPEL potato pilot program

“This was the first time that I have grown potatoes. I was very happy with the experience and the help that PROPEL provided. I plan to plant more potatoes in the future and increase the acreage”.

October 2015

As a result of this trial, CFL has committed to engage 24 farmers to produce Spunta and Chieftain potatoes on over 25 acres in St. Lucia. PROPEL is providing the Super Elite Seeds for this program and CFL will purchase all of the produce from the farmers and pay them, net the value of the seeds. The money from those proceeds will become a revolving fund to purchase seeds for future harvests.

Potato varieties are put to the test

Top Chef Orlando Satchell praises the quality of the locally grown potatoes

Following the success of the Potato Trial, CFL commits to expand the program to other roots & tubers.

View TV interview www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu-U07GkuxA

In this first trial, Mr. Gaston was able to produce above international yields at around 18,000 lbs. per acre. PROPEL’s Senior Regional Agricultural Coordinator, Mr. Alvin Murray, who worked with Mr. Poilus to oversee the trials, suggested that there is evidence that some farmers, especially the ones in the hills with cooler night time temperatures, could achieve upward of 20-25,000 lbs. per acre. He was confident that, with attention to soil moisture content, potatoes can be cultivated on St. Lucian hillsides year round.

Potatoes fair well in blind taste tests As part of the trials, the locally grown potatoes were supplied to the award winning chef of Orlando’s Restaurant to prepare dishes for taste testing by farmers, officials of Ministry of Agriculture and the public. In the blind taste tests, the trial potatoes were mixed with imported potato varieties. The presentations were boiled, pan-fried, chips/crisp, French fries, mashed and baked. Participants were unable to discern any difference between the local potato and imported potatoes with regard to texture, taste, appearance and other qualitative attributes. Chef Satchell was happy to daub the trial potatoes, “Lucian Potatoes” and said, “having potatoes grown

Mr. Demille commended PROPEL saying, “With PROPEL taking a market-led approach, to increasing production of key fresh produce items, it taught us (CFL) that we can get better returns on our investment if you do it right. Never before have I witnessed a program that achieves the intended outcome like I have seen with PROPEL. PROPEL understands that you must make your implementation processes as simple as can be. With the results that have been achieved, I have no issue continuing to be a part of the PROPEL Project where we can continue the transformation of the agricultural sector with a great focus on empowering farmers in the region”.

CFL happy with program and pledges continued support

locally will be a tremendous boost to the farmers and the tourism product”.

Due to the foreign exchange situation, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) announced a strategy to replace 80-85% of imported table potatoes with local production. This led to the development and launch of the National Irish Potato Programme (NIPP) in October 2013 involving hundred of farmers across 9 parishes. The GOJ committed 25 million dollars to the program to be carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA). As part of this program, farmers were required to participate in training in which PROPEL had provided technical assistance in the form of Farmer Field Schools, demonstration plots and train the trainer programs for the RADA extension officers.

Review of the Potato Seed Program PROPEL hosted a review of the Potato Seed Program in May 2014, attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, RADA, WUSC and various private sector participants including marketing manager, Marcia Charlebois from Glasonbury. A number of issues were highlighted, including: the lack of credit for farmers; the need for additional storage - both for seeds and potatoes; farmers want their potatoes to be purchased at the point of harvest; farmers and re-sellers are competing in the marketplace. Mr. Dermon Spence, Chief Technical Director at the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out the need for the private sector to provide contracts for farmers. It was also highlighted that there is a need for a local seed production program because the cost of seeds on the world market continues to rise and can become prohibitive. Encouraged by PROPEL’s vision of trying to get potatoes to grow year round in Jamaica and with Mr. Murray’s guidance, Glastonbury decided to import the super elite potatoes instead of the traditional grade A seeds and set up a sell and buy back seed program. Ms. Charlebois explained,


Glastonbury begins contracting farmers to create successful market linkages and a more stable and sustainable business.

The Gentles family, have been farming in Jamaica for generations. They had traditionally grown bananas, coffee and potatoes. The Gentles family farm in Trelawny continues to produce potatoes and other produce on approximately 200 acres. In September of 1993 they formed the Glastonbury Purveyor Company, a full service supplier of fresh and frozen food products. Since then Glastonbury, under the management of Hugh Gentles and Marcia Charlebois, the company has grown to be a significant food distributor in Jamaica, supplying restaurants, supermarkets and hotels all over the island. They have a dedicated warehouse facility and some cold storage to maintain produce quality and shelf life. As farmers and importers/re-sellers of potatoes and seeds, Glastonbury has participated in various PROPEL consultations and meetings dating back to 2012 and were exposed to the project mantra of self sufficiency and the sustainability of the potato sector. PROPEL’s Senior Agricultural Coordinator, Mr. Alvin Murray, has championed the idea that Jamaica could produce it’s own seeds from super elite potatoes. These potatoes he argued, would provide seed potatoes for out of season planting, reduce waste, help with disease control experienced with lower quality potatoes and provide a stable and more continuous revenue stream for the farmers.

“We try to participate in any program that will help Jamaican agriculture become more sustainable. Local potatoes are traditionally only available 6 months of the year, we have storage, so we can supply the market longer. If seeds are available and farmers can produce another crop, we could reduce that gap to 3 months, or less with cold storage.”

Marcia Charlebois, Marketing Manager

Despite a severe drought in 2015, the Sell and Buy Back Potato Seed Program initiated by PROPEL has been lauded as a success and is contributing to the sustainability of the potato sector. PROPEL has other private sector buyers actively looking at contracting with farmers and becoming involved with this program as well as applying it to various other crops. Glastonbury will continue with the program and are looking at the cost/benefit of added cold storage.

The Sell and Buy Back Seed Program Under PROPEL’s guidance, Glastonbury went one step further and created, for the first time, the means by which qualified farmers could contract with Glastonbury to be able to get credit to access high quality seeds and other potato inputs. As part of the sell and buy back seed program, they also provided participating farmers with a guaranteed market for their produce at the time of harvest. According to Ms. Charlebois, contracts were offered to their farmers in two forms, both of which guaranteed farmers a market for their produce at a fixed minimum price. In both cases Glastonbury collected, cleaned, graded, stored and sold the potatoes for the farmers. As part of the program, PROPEL with the support of extension officers from RADA, who had been trained by the project, provided the technical assistance to these farmers. Option 1: A farmer with the Glastonbury contract in hand, could approach the Credit Unions or other financial institutions for a loan to purchase the seeds and other inputs necessary to produce the potato crop. About 60% of the approximately 100 farmers involved in the new seed program were able to do this successfully. Option 2: Glastonbury provided the seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other inputs to the farmers upfront, and in return, at harvest the farmer turned over the entire crop to Glastonbury who deducted the cost of inputs supplied and paid the farmer the net value for the crop. The second option is a higher risk to the company especially as the crop is subject to drought, floods and hurricanes. Ms. Charlebois explained that since so many of the potato farmers in Jamaica are small farmers (cultivating between 1-5 acres) it is seen to be a necessary risk and a matter of trust. This offer was extended to farmers well known to the company with whom they had confidence. She pointed out that it is a matter of trust, and so far they have not had any problems with the program even though this year Jamaica had experienced a severe drought and it had affected harvests. Ms. Charlebois stated,

“one of the good things that has come out of this connection with PROPEL is that our farmer base has increased a lot – a good 30-40% of new farmers have become involved with us through the program. The seed program has been very successful and now we are looking at similar programs with other crops, such as onions. It was a good business decision”. Farmer Purchell Johnson, who has been involved in the sell and buy back seed program, had this to say,

Hugh Gentles (top left) and the Glastonbury team Glastonbury facilities in Trelawny, Jamaica

"I got the elite seeds from Glastonbury and they gave me a contract to buy back all my potatoes at a reasonable price. They pick them up and sort them, so it makes it easy to do business with them"

WUSC CARIBBEAN CASE STUDY #6

From subsistence to commercial farm management and marketing,

Maylene Mahabir is leading the way for plantain farmers in Guyana

The zeal, energy and knowledge she displayed while working alongside her husband impressed him and led to the decision for her to take the lead and manage the farm while her husband explored other business opportunities. In 1999 this dynamic woman farmer ventured into plantain production with half an acre cultivation.

After a lull in production owing to the effect of the Black Sigatoka disease, our agri-preneur restarted her plantain production enterprise in 2012. She said,

Maylene Mahabir was born and raised in the indigenous community of St. Cuthbert’s Mission which is located sixty - five (65) miles up the Mahaica River. There she received her farming orientation and foundation, as “subsistence farming” was practiced by every family in that community. That foundation made it easy for her to fit into a farming family when she got married and moved to the farming community of Little Biaboo, located twenty (20) miles away on the banks of the Mahaica River.

In April 2014 PROPEL signed the first sub project agreement in Guyana with the Upper Mahaica Farmers Association to provide training and farming inputs to help rural farmers improve their skills and production of plantains. Maylene, who had become a member of that group since 2005, was among the earliest set of farmers to have benefited from PROPEL supported interventions in Guyana. Maylene and the other members received extensive training, supplies of fertilizers, insecticides, nematicides and fungicides to use on half-acre action oriented research plots to assess the effectiveness of these inputs and the integrated management approach for the control of the Black Sigatoka disease advocated through PROPEL.

Maylene has since taken a more focused approach to her plantain production enterprise, paying attention to root pest control and she has implemented a spraying regime.

Maylene Mahabir agri-preneur On her plantain farm

“I grew up being involved in farming at St. Cuthbert’s from a tender age and I loved it, so nothing about cultivation and caring crops was new to me except the machines and tending to the cattle.”

“We have six acres of land for other crops, so I started by cultivating a half acre with plantain. The only time I was not cultivating plantain was during the big flood of 2005 which damaged all our crops and 2009 – 2011 when the dry leaf disease hit.”

“I love growing plantains and was happy when I was able to restart cultivation of the crop.”

“Even though they were cultivating plantain in the Little & Big Biaboo farming communities for so long, the farmers were neither fertilizing the way they were taught nor putting emphasis on the control of root pests.”

Lilian (seen above) reflecting on entries in

her farmers diary

In addition, her family cultivates rice and they have 1.5 acres orchard.

Maylene now keeps records of her enterprise and has seen huge improvements using the 12:12:17:2 blended fertilizer she received as part of her PROPEL training. She has seen her production go from 25 to 30 pounds per bunch, to an average of 38 to 42 pounds per bunch (on average a 45% increase in bunch weight).

This progressive agri-preneur is not just a full time plantain and vegetable farmer, she is also a trader and consolidator. Maylene sells her produce each week at the open market in Mahaica and when she has a shortfall in plantain production at her farm, she purchases from other farmers in the area, to maintain a regular supply to her loyal customers. .

Maylene selling her produce every Saturday at the Mahaica market

Prior to PROPEL’s intervention, Maylene’s highest acreage of plantain was 1.5 acres. Today she has increased her production capacity three-fold, cultivating 4.5 of her 6 acres with plantain. She is very upbeat about the plantain yield she produces after putting into practice what she has been taught through the PROPEL project.

Maylene has been cultivating plantain intercropped with hot or sweet peppers since she restarted the cultivation of plantains in 2012. The peppers are kept in the fields for six months before they are removed. She was very upbeat about the yield increases after putting into practice what she was taught at the plantain production management course

provided by PROPEL. She has since applied the recommended 8ft. x 8 ft. and 8 ft. x 6 ft. plant spacing and on occasion, placed two suckers in a hole with good success.

Maylene embraces technology to assist with land preparation

The Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages (PROPEL) project is implemented by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), with the financial support of donors and from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC)


Supporting the potato market system in Dominica: PROPEL is helping to expand potato production across the region

Building on its success in bringing systematic change to the potato market system in Jamaica, WUSC Caribbean identified Dominica as a country with significant opportunity for sustainable growth for their potato market. Potato has been an established crop in Dominica for over a decade, however most of the production was centralized in the southern part of the island. Farmers across the island were looking for crop diversification and showed considerable interest in potato production. An opportunity existed to expand production by importing higher quality seed material, (from grade A to Elite). This results in double the volume of seeds per bag with the potential to increase both the quality and quantity of potato produced by each seed.

intention was for the project to cover the differential cost between grade A and Elite seed, however, with the impact of tropical storm Erika the project covered the entire seed costs to support the rehabilitation of the damaged agriculture sector in Dominica. Through PROPEL support, 220 bags of Spunta, 520 bags of El Mundo, and 360 bags of Desiree seeds were provided to the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). In addition to the seeds, many farmers received farmer field school training on seed management and potato production by PROPEL’s Regional Agricultural Coordinator, Mr. Alvin Murray working in collaboration with the MOA extension officers. Some farmers and extension officers from the MOA participated in a study tour to Jamaica to learn best practices and to see how the potato market system functions in Jamaica. This initiative increased potato production in Dominica from 36

acres to 63 acres in the first year.

This is the story of three female farmers who benefitted from PROPEL’s early intervention to catalyse the expansion of potato production in Dominica

Dawn Francis, small farmer and agri-preneur from the central mountainous region

Dawn Francis is a 45 year old organic farmer from Corona, St. Paul. She is a strong advocate of permaculture and organic farming and along with cultivating vegetables, dasheens, yams, onions and sweet potatoes; she rears chickens, goats and ducks. Through her membership in the Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement (DOAM), Dawn is working towards local organic certification of her farm’s produce. Dawn capitalizes on the location of her farm in the central mountains to attract tourists for Nature Island farm stays, hiking and agro-tourism. Visitors are invited to participate in farming activities and to eat produce and meat produced on the farm. She owns 2 ½ acres and leases another 3 acres for her family farm and tourism business. In 2015 she planted 1 bag of El Mundo seeds on just under ½ an acre. She had planted Desiree seeds previously, but tried the new El Mundo variety, as they could go from farm to table without a period of curing. Despite missing the training from the farmer field schools, Dawn was very excited about her crop exclaiming,

After consultation with producers, government and other stakeholders, WUSC Caribbean signed a sub-project agreement with Dominica’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in October, 2015 to provide the Ministry with elite potato seeds to distribute to approximately 174 producers, in order to invigorate and expand potato production on the island. Originally the

She was very pleased with the result, claiming a 1:5 return, which she felt was very good. She was able to sell potatoes to the local supermarket and she withheld some which were sold to the Operation Wallacae team, who were staying on the farm during the potato harvest. Dawn has since received post-harvest training through PROPEL and has had extension support from the Ministry of Agriculture. She admits,

Dawn Francis, agri-preneur

“the potatoes were big! One day I noticed the stems were falling down, so I dug up a few and they were big and ready. I did not want them to rot, so we harvested them all that day. I don’t know if it is our soils, but I think this is a two-month potato crop.”

“if I had the training before, I would have had a better harvest, I am very proactive and this time I plan to put in an acre of potatoes as soon as I can get the seeds”.

Lilian shows off her potato harvest in the group’s drying house

Lilian Marcellin is a veteran farmer, working about half of her 10 acre farm in Calibishie, with her husband, for the last 45 years. Lilian traditionally farms sweet potatoes, ginger, plantain, onions, dasheens, vegetables and potatoes and she sells her produce on the local market as well as to supermarkets. She is an active member of the North Eastern Women Farmers Group. In February, 2016 Lilian was selected by WUSC Caribbean for a PROPEL study tour to Jamaica to learn about potato production first-hand, from successful potato farmers and the WUSC Caribbean team in Jamaica. Lilian also benefitted from potato farmer field school training through PROPEL and extension support from the MOA.

As a result of the field trip to Jamaica, the farmer field school training in Dominica and access to the Elite potato seeds, Lilian has expanded her potato crop and is utilizing the techniques learned on the Jamaica tour not just to potato production, but also to farm sweet potato and onion.

Lilian Marcellin, a seasoned farmer gets a boost from cross country training on potato production through PROPEL

Lilian (seen above) reflecting on entries in her

farmers diary

Lilian planted 4 bags of El Mundo, 4 bags of Spunta and 1 bag of Desiree. She lamented that 3 bags of Spunta were spoiled, but explained that she had planted sweet potato in the same soil and had a similar experience, so she would not plant in that area again. However she was very happy with the rest of crop from which she was able to sell 30 bags – 20 to the local supermarket Greens and the rest in the local market.

Rosie Francis - first time potato farmer finds success with her first crop

Rosie is hands-on, working her

potato fields in Calibishie

Rosie Francis is a 47 year old entrepreneur from Calibishie. Rosie’s family has owned a farm in the area for generations. On her 13.5 acre farm, Rosie has cultivated bananas, plantains, sweet potatoes, yams, dasheens, vegetables, ginger, tannia, saffron, coconuts, cocoa and castor oil. In addition to farming, Rosie owns a well-known local area shop which sells craft items and often her own produce. Rosie also holds down a job with the Government. This industrious lady had been a large banana farmer, but with falling banana prices and after a blight with black sigatoka disease, in late 2015 she was encouraged by her extension officer from the MOA to enroll in the PROPEL farmer field school on potato production to see if it could be an opportunity for her. After training, she was given access to 5 bags of El Mundo seeds, 4 bags of Spunta and 1 bag of Desiree seeds as well as technical support from the WUSC Caribbean team and the MOA extension officer to plant potatoes on an acre and a half of her land. She explained,

“I love the Spunta and use it in my curry chicken every week. I hope to plant 5 bags of potatoes this season”

“When I went to Jamaica, I realized that I made a mistake with how I was planting and drying the potatoes – I was planting them left, right, all over the place, mixing up the big seeds with the little seeds, I would have done better if I had gone before to Jamaica to see how it is really done.”

“if I am going to do this (plant potatoes), I am going to do it well.”

Rosie’s first attempt at planting potatoes met with mixed results as an aged member of her family fell and became bed-ridden. With the additional responsibilities she was not able to harvest all of her crop. In total, Rosie planted 10 bags of potato seeds and reaped 60 bags of potatoes, a return of 1:6. As the El Mundo variety ripened first, she was able to harvest all of those potatoes getting “twenty something bags” with which she was very pleased. Rosie was able to reap and sell some of the other potato varieties as time permitted. So the potatoes would not all spoil, she also gave away bags of seeds to other farmers in the area, encouraging them in turn to try their hand at producing potatoes and to get back into commercial farming. Unfortunately, some of her crop was left unharvested, as she did not have the time or resources to manage it. When asked what she attributed to her success she explained it,

Rosie (2nd on left) with the PROPEL group at the Women

in Agriculture Symposium

As a successful potato farmer, entrepreneur and a member of the North Eastern Women Farmers group, Rosie was selected by WUSC Caribbean to attend a ‘Women in Agriculture Symposium’, sponsored by UN Women, FAO, UWI and PROPEL in Trinidad in mid-April, 2016. As one the seven women supported to attend through PROPEL, she had the opportunity to share in discussions and learning regarding gender issues in agriculture across the region. She had this to say about her experience at the symposium,

When asked if she intends to continue planting potatoes, Rosie said,

“I know not everyone got the same results, but I followed what was taught to me at the PROPEL field school. I did not use pesticides, just the fungicide as they showed us. I also applied the t-manure (a liquid fertilizer made from composting animal dung and grass or vegetative matter) which I use extensively on the farm.”

Rosie on her farm in Calibishie

“The land is rich and I got a good result. The IGA (Supermarket) called me. They heard I had a crop of potatoes and they asked for it. I don’t have to market my produce. People know me and I have good quality, so I can easily sell it to locals and tourists in my shop or to the supermarkets. I estimate that I tripled my investment, even after having to pay to plough and hill the land.”

Composting was introduced to this farming community in 2014 to help conserve moisture in the roots of crops in times of drought and also to reduce the amount and/or need for additional fertilizers, cutting costs and contributing

to more sustainable agricultural practices.

“It was good to be there, you see that women everywhere have the same issues. Women have to stop seeing themselves as left out of the family or the workforce and get out there and make things happen. I have tried to form a group, to train and employ young women to produce and package craft in a marketable way, but it is difficult. Everyone wants to have a job and get money but they are not all so keen to put in the work and now I do not have the time.”

“With all the health issues in my family, I am not sure if I can go ahead with potatoes this season. If I can get some help, I will. I booked 30 bags of seeds, but now I wish I had 50 bags! I am trying to get a contract with IGA and I know Greens will buy the potatoes, so we will have to wait and see, but I know I can make good money even though I wish the price was a bit higher. Mr. Green is trying to help the farmers, he can import the potato at a lower price so we have to be happy with that. At the end of day, after all cost, there is still a surplus.”

All three women remain committed to potato production and hope to expand production in the 2016 winter planting season.

As a result of the seed program and training provided through PROPEL in collaboration with the MOA, the first planting season was deemed a success, nearly doubling the acreage of potatoes in production. While not all the farmers cultivated the three varieties provided, farmers seemed to generally prefer the Desiree variety of potato, probably because it was familiar to them in terms of performance and pest issues.

Lessons learned from the first planting season, included: a need for drying facilities in main agricultural regions; need to work more closely with buyers to manage and purchase/market the potatoes; the importance of the MOA to make arrangements or facilitate farmers to acquire tilling machines; and the need for greater collaboration with the Ministries of Trade, Health and Education for the sustainability of the potato market.

To improve production for future potato crops in Dominica, WUSC Caribbean continues to engage with farmers and has held post-harvest consultations and training. In September 2016, PROPEL support provided training and soil testing kits to the MOA extension officers so that they can provide more support to farmers on managing their soil fertility, nutrient requirements, soil/water relations and do soil mapping and testing in-situ.

Based on the results of this last planting season and the positive response from farmers, buyers and consumers alike, the MOA has committed to continue to import Elite seed for potato farmers to buy. The proceeds from the sale of seeds provided through PROPEL formed a revolving fund for the purchase of seeds for the upcoming crop cycle.

Additionally, and to support the overall development of the potato market in Dominica, the project has also engaged with the Dominica Agricultural and Industrial (AID) Bank to help break down barriers to credit by making available low interest loans for farmers, especially those with contracts, to provide local supermarkets with potatoes.

Post Harvest Training in the fields being conducted by the PROPEL team

Soil Testing Training provided by WUSC Caribbean Paul Green, Green’s Supermarkets and Wholesale

“Some of the potatoes were quite small which is a change for Dominica…but customers had commented on the taste, which they said was quite fine and the quality for the most part was good. Farmers were most happy with the yield however, one farmer told me he had a return on 8 or 9:1 which is really good!”



Alva Anderson – a young Jamaican agri-preneur set for success

Initially he was shocked at the actual physical labor involved and struggled having to sell all his crops to ‘higglers’ (middlemen) while he built enough resources and made direct connections with buyers. “Some higglers know you don’t know the game – and they take advantage of you.” Currently, Alva has a contract with a banana chip factory and his sweet potato crops are either sold to higglers at the Coronation Market, to a consolidator, or for export to the US or UK markets. Alva decided to grow sweet potatoes as a commercial crop after meeting Mr. Alvin Murray, the WUSC Caribbean Regional Agriculture Coordinator for PROPEL, at the Denbigh Agricultural Show in 2014. He was encouraged to participate in the technical programs offered through the extension services of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority

At age 31, Alva Anderson is already a successful agri-preneur. Alva grew up in a farming family in Guy’s Hill, St. Mary, Jamaica. He inherited his passion for agriculture from his father, a farmer, but Alva tells us, he was not brought up to farm. In the last 5 years however, this young entrepreneur has built a booming agri-business for himself, expanding up to 10 acres, some of which is family-owned, some leased and some rented. On this land, Alva plants banana and sweet potato crops in addition to raising cattle. As a trained accountant and small business owner, Alva uses to these skills to make his agri-business profitable.

(RADA) with the support of WUSC Caribbean. This led Alva to pursue sweet potatoes as one of his main crops. Through the National Sweet Potato Program, implemented by Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries(MICAF) with the support of PROPEL, Alva was given access to clean planting material, technical assistance, and marketing support. He also attended the RADA/PROPEL farmer field schools, where he learned best agricultural practices as related to land preparation, pest control, soil care, harvesting, and post-harvest management. Alva was also linked with a consolidator that supplies restaurants and supermarkets.

Alva Anderson Jamaican youth agri-preneur

“I researched the industry and saw the potential – along with looking back on my dad’s life – and I made the decision to go into agriculture.”

“The first time I ever planted the sweet potato – the motivation was there; I made a profit. If it wasn’t for PROPEL – I may have planted sweet potato – but I wouldn’t have gotten the results. PROPEL instructed me to get a special blend – the Jamaican Beauregard triple super phosphate blend as a fertilizer for sweet potato plants. Based on the technical assistance I got, my crops came out much better than other crops in the region.”

After experiencing substantial growth in profits and seeing the potential in commercializing his crops, Alva sought to further establish and expand his enterprise. The positive yield results motivated his decision to continue investing in the production of sweet potatoes. Indeed, Alva reports he has managed to get 100% return on investment from his production of sweet potatoes in the past 2 years. In addition to applying best practices in growing and harvesting his crops, the techniques he learned for post-harvest management through PROPEL have significantly impacted his yield. He reports that he has reaped over 10,800 pounds from 1 acre of land during his first harvest, with only 265 pounds of post-harvest loss. Since then, his post-harvest losses have dropped even further.

“The training I got from PROPEL definitely helped minimize post-harvest losses; things like information about rat infestation, worm infestation. For example – we do manual harvest – with hand forks – and we got training on how to harvest – how to place the hand forks so as not to harm the tubers.”

“I want to have an established business between producers, agro-processors, buyers, HVMs – and eventually the export market”.

Alva tells us that he plans to become a distributor within the next five years:

However, he believes more effort needs to be aimed at getting Jamaicans to buy local, instead of imported fresh produce. He also says a renewed effort needs to be made to legitimize agriculture, to encourage young people to join the sector. He suggests professional market training for farmers and farmer hopefuls – especially youth, who are desperate for the business development skills necessary to ensure their success in the changing economy of agriculture.

Passionate about the agriculture sector, Alva recommends that youth wanting to get into the agriculture field approach it as a business,

Alva (far right) attending a PROPEL youth in agriculture focus group in September 2016

Today, Alva’s fresh produce business is thriving. A champion for youth in agriculture, Alva has produced greater yields every year he has been in business. With his plans for expansion, soon enough Alva will not only produce even more healthy, sustainable food for the HVMs, but also provide more employment and infrastructure for his community and his peers.

Despite rapid expansion, Alva still faces challenges that limit the scope of how fast he can expand. He has limited access to credit from input providers and financial institutions and lamented,

While his relationship with his input providers has progressed over the years, allowing him today to obtain inputs on credit, there is only so much he can obtain at a given time.

Other challenges include access to information about prices, in what is still largely an informal sector. Alva accesses current crop prices through MICAF’s webpage, however sometimes the regional context may affect these prices. Alva also relies on his neighbors by asking around how much they are selling their crops for, and he also gets farm-gate prices from his RADA extension officer. Mostly, however, Alva tells us that the key to his success is always putting pen to paper, calculating how much he should be selling his crops for in view of his cost of production. The combination of these strategies has resulted in a successful enterprise that continues to grow.

Alva is driven to legitimize his agri-business and standardize his practices. He tells us he keeps detailed records of all financial transactions and activities that take place in his fields. As a trained accountant, he feels everything should be recorded from a business end. In addition, he feels that streamlining his practices further will significantly enhance his productivity and contribute to even larger returns.

“I’m not satisfied – I would like my farm business to be more structured. I want it to be a registered business – where I can actually look at my business paper-wise – and see well, this is what it looks like – and see that it is profitable. It would help should I approach a bank or a supplier – they would want some sort of paperwork.”

“We are small farmers – so the access to suppliers is not the same as with larger farmers. If we had a better relationship with them, we could do more – but we have to operate within the confines of the agreements.”

“Do thorough research on the agriculture field – then you will know if you have the capability to be successful. You need some background, and the willingness to learn and put in the work to succeed.”


Documents

Ayodele’s Vision Of A Sustainable Business - Farming ...assets.wusc.ca/WUSCwebsite/propel-case-studies.pdf · the insurance business and had observed Antiguan farmers enjoying a