The main objective of the Rural Enterprise Project was to
offer smallholders and resource-poor rural households, particularly woman-headed
households, the option to broaden their income base and reduce risk through
a wide range of productive activities. The project design aimed to address
the following constraints: limited production factors for non-banana farming,
including planting material, water and improved cropping systems; the
degradation of natural resources due to farming in steep slopes; weak
marketing systems; the lack of access to credit; and weak community organizations
in the provision and use of services.
Activities
The four main components that were included in the project design were:
- production (including crop, livestock and microenterprise development);
- marketing;
- credit;
- community development.
In terms of livestock development, the objective was to promote environmentally
sound livestock intensification systems. This sub-component comprised
three activities: a breeder multiplication and dispersal programme, research
and extension, and institutional strengthening.
Outcome
The project relied heavily on the performance of extension services and of other public organizations. Despite the training received by extension officers, staff morale and commitment were low, and little energy was spent on the project. Eventually, the Project Management Unit succeeded in getting the Ministry of Agriculture to assign extension officers to work directly with the project, thus improving the project-beneficiary interface.
Overall, the project struggled with serious delays at the beginning, especially in its production component. There were delays in the implementation of the livestock component. Pure-bred animals were imported, and the infrastructure for the animal-breeding programme was completed. The dispersal schemes, with the exception of rabbit-rearing, were delayed at first, but were eventually initiated.
The plant propagation programme was delayed, but it was expected to deliver benefits before the end of the project’s life. Micro-irrigation was even less successful, and any tangible benefits were uncertain. The results of the research and extension programmes did not meet expectations. Despite the setbacks, production under the project increased, and it is projected to cover the needs of the local market in the near future. Expansion in export markets was under way at the time of the Mid-Term Review.
The performance of the credit component was poor. Staff performance, particularly that of the credit officer, was problematic. Reporting was inadequate, and loan delinquency high.
Impact was limited. Training in business skills was provided to 130 beneficiaries, and as many jobs were created.
The most positive outcomes arose from the areas of marketing and microenterprise development. Ecotourism activities were developed, and 528 persons benefited from a fund that supported microenterprises in several types of economic activities. New outlets were developed for the output of the production component. Farmer associations, as well as private businesses, have been assisted in the development of trade links, and many initiatives have been undertaken to promote local produce and provide market information.
The project is ongoing. It is hoped that the extension of the project’s life and the commitment of government extension officers to work exclusively for the project will improve the project’s impact.
| A stated strategy for the Rural Enterprise Project was to strengthen the capacity of service providers to respond to the needs of rural poor households and their organizations, while working with local institutions and communities in a participatory framework. Specifically, the project aimed to strengthen linkages among farmers, community organizations, extension and research staff. The project is cofinanced by IFAD, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Saint Lucia. The two main organizations offering production support to Saint
Lucia were the Ministry of Agriculture and the Caribbean Agricultural
Research and Development Institute. The ministry had a livestock
research and development division, where limited research is carried
out in collaboration with the institute. There were about 50 professional
staff in the extension division of the ministry. It was envisaged
that, broadly speaking, the ministry would have responsibility
for or the primary involvement in the livestock development component
of the project. |
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| Planned |
Achieved |
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| In terms of livestock development and its sub-components, the scheduled activities were: |
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| To organize workshops on project awareness for all extension staff so as to familiarize the officers with the principles of the demand-driven approach and to promote the importance of the targeting of marginalized households. | The participants appreciated the training, but, nevertheless, they indicated that, without wholesale reform of Ministry of Agriculture extension services, the demand-led approach would not be effective. | |
| To carry out in-service training of Ministry of Agriculture field officers on improved animal production. The training would be convened and financed annually. | The Mid-Term Review verified that eight extension officers had received animal production training. | |
| To train project beneficiaries in livestock management in order to improve production systems. Training would be timed so as to ensure that women could attend. | Training has been provided to 105 beneficiaries in livestock management and meat processing and 50 farmers in livestock development. Since the Mid-Term Review, an additional 18 current or potential livestock farmers were trained in integrated livestock enterprise development and are being assisted in the establishment of improved systems on a commercial basis. The training courses had a weakness: they were provided only in English and were thus inaccessible to the poorest farmers, who could only speak Creole. The rabbit-rearing activities in schools were, however, very successful: Seven schools were assisted in the creation and management of rabbit enterprises. |
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Access to inputs and infrastructure
| The national infrastructure for transport and communications in Saint Lucia is in good condition. The project aimed to strengthen institutional capacity and improve infrastructure for rural services, especially in the area of livestock development. Facilities at the agricultural stations of the Ministry of Agriculture where the breeding programmes were implemented were badly in need of repair. Mainly due to infrastructure constraints, only 25% of demand for sires and breeders could be met. A major proportion of the funds that would be made available were to be absorbed in the first year of the project for investment in infrastructure and capacity-building. Access to credit was an essential element for the intensification of livestock production. |
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| Planned |
Achieved |
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| To improve the infrastructure of agricultural stations so as to enhance the capacity to provide the country with improved breeding animals. To improve extension material and provide resources to enhance the mobility of key staff.
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The infrastructure for breeding animals has been completed to a satisfactory level.
Little documentation was available on the impact of the credit component, and few loans (7.5%) were directed towards livestock development. A majority of the beneficiaries interviewed indicated at Mid-Term Review that the results of the credit were positive and that production had increased. Other indicators of the credit component give a different picture. The loan delinquency rates were far higher than expected at appraisal, albeit lower among women, among whom the average loan size was larger than it was among men. |
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| To improve extension material and provide resources to enhance the mobility of key staff. | The rural communications unit received video and computer equipment and produced training videos. | |
| To strengthen the market for rural financial services on both the supply and the demand side. Small-scale livestock production financing is targeted. Funds would be allocated to the credit unions and the National Research and Development Foundation through the Saint Lucia Development Bank. | Little documentation was available on the impact of the credit component, and few loans (7.5%) were directed towards livestock development. A majority of the beneficiaries interviewed indicated at Mid-Term Review that the results of the credit were positive and that production had increased. Other indicators of the credit component give a different picture. The loan delinquency rates were far higher than expected at appraisal, albeit lower among women, among whom the average loan size was larger than it was among men. | |
| A major threat to the incomes of Saint Lucia’s farmers is represented by the overreliance of the farmers on the banana industry and by the worsening terms of trade for bananas. Livestock development was considered an excellent option for diversification, especially for resource-poor households which already relied on livestock as a source of income and nutrition. The demand for livestock products was expected to increase, and there was already ample scope for import substitution. Access to markets and development of business skills were necessary
to achieve the sustainability of the diversification process.
In an effort to make producers more market oriented, the project
encouraged them to serve not only the local market, but also
the tourist, regional and extra-regional market. |
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| Planned |
Achieved |
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| To link resource-poor rural household production, including livestock, to existing market opportunities. A production organizer would be hired to help producers and their groups become more market oriented and assist extension officers develop their role to provide market information to producers.
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Arguably, the marketing component is the most successful project component. New links have been set up with local market importers and overseas importers. Local producers have been assisted in attending trade fairs, and agreements have been pursued with various carriers for affordable airfreight. In addition, there are 57 rabbit producer-beneficiaries under the project who are being assisted in the establishment of an association/cooperative to provide production and marketing services on a sustainable basis. No information is available on the role of the extension officers.
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| Environmental degradation was becoming serious in Saint Lucia partly because of the replacement of pastureland in steep slopes with unsuitable arable crops such as bananas. About 17% of the total area of the country, or 26 000 ac, could be potentially used for pasture, and there is tremendous potential for rangeland biomass production. |
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| Planned |
Achieved |
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| Upgrade livestock keepers from free range to semi-intensive or intensive production systems using protective measures to ensure against environmental degradation. Put land on steep slopes back to improved pasture, establish
fodder banks for cut-and-carry stall-feeding.
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No evidence of reporting on indicators of livestock management practices. Interventions on land resource management not adequately documented.
However, any such intervention, including the livestock component
contribution, was deemed neutral or beneficial at the Mid-Term
Review. |
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| The most important source of fodder was unimproved pasture of low quality. The practice of tethering animals contributed to the problem of inappropriate and inadequate feeding. However, the island enjoys a moderately humid climate, and there was ample scope to provide improved pastures so as to address constraints related to inadequate nutrition. Because of the quality of fodder, animal diets were deficient in protein, which is essential for the maximization of animal growth and weight gains. Local breeds of sheep and cattle were adapted to environmental conditions and were genetically superior to exotic species in terms of animal performance. However, due to poor animal-breeding practices, there was loss of genetic potential. It is estimated that about 60% of the small stock on the island were inbred. In 1992, Saint Lucia was a net importer of livestock products,
estimated at 1 370 t dressed weight. The trends for the tourist
industry indicate an increase in the demand for livestock products,
and there is ample scope for import substitution. |
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| Planned |
Achieved |
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| To develop and maintain a 5-ac irrigated fodder-bank reserve to provide the necessary fodder for the cut-and-carry stall-feeding of breeding animals. To develop and apply research on feeding trials using farm waste product. Participants in the revolving animal scheme were required to plant a small area of improved pasture. To increase livestock production and substitute livestock product imports. To import a range of pure-bred stock, including sheep, goats and rabbits, and the necessary artificial insemination equipment within a breeder multiplication programme. The overall aim is to enlarge the genetic pool in Saint Lucia. To implement a livestock dispersal programme under the following
schemes: sire loan, sire exchange, revolving animal and direct
sales of surplus sires and breeders. |
The fodder bank was delayed due to technical concerns, and the planting material was no longer active. Results were limited. Small ruminant nutrition trials with eight farmers and a study of the use of banana discards were completed during the first phase. Since the Mid-Term Review, a second phase of the small ruminant feeding trials was conducted, and data were analysed from which training would be conducted. A core of 23 small ruminant producers were selected to serve as a demonstration group for the results of the feed trials in an improved or intensified system. No information available. Some beneficiaries requested assistance for the purchase of animal feed under favourable terms, although this was not included in the project design. Delays in the animal dispersion products inhibited increases in production. The pure-bred stock has been imported, although after a delay. Some of the animals are up to the required standard. Officials of the livestock services division were engaged in an artificial insemination programme using equipment and accessories provided under the project. Results or data from such a programme had not yet been received as of May 2003. The distribution of rabbits had started at the time of the Mid-Term Review, but the dispersal schemes were significantly delayed. By May 2003, 209 animals had been dispersed to 62 beneficiaries. |
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| The health of livestock in Saint Lucia is generally good, and ruminants are free of major diseases. There are a number of internal and external parasites, and the lush pasture and climate promote this type of infestation. A major cause of mortality among small stock is exposure leading to respiratory ailments brought on by the wet climate during the rainy season. |
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| Planned |
Achieved |
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| To import mini-packs for animal health for the breeder multiplication programme; fund veterinary equipment and materials for the veterinary services division and make them available to the farmers on a cost recovery basis when they have animals treated by the division. To address, through the intensification of management, the
lack of security for free-range livestock exposed to theft and
feral attacks from stray dogs, as well as exposure to inclement
weather which causes infections and disease. |
No information available. Aid is needed for the purchase of building materials to provide
secure housing for livestock. Provision for such action was
not made during the appraisal. |
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Lessons learned
- It is important to examine the capacity of the local partners to fulfil their obligations under the project, especially if they are given the responsibility for critical project components. Institutional strengthening is a long-term process, which requires more than the transfer of resources. Where inadequacies in the work ethic have been identified, it is a fallacy to rely heavily on the collaboration of these actors and expect tangible short-term results.
- Overreliance on government agencies creates a wrong image of project ownership. In the case of the credit component, this may have contributed to the higher than expected loan delinquency rates observed.
- The project objectives should be clear and consistent with monitoring indicators and the targeting criteria so as to avoid confusion and, consequently, increase the impact of supervision and the progress of implementation. The targeting criteria used during appraisal were later found to underestimate the number of beneficiaries. As a result, they were replaced with the vague term “the poorest of the poor”, inviting discussion on the project’s scope and implementation methods.
- Provision should be made for adequate reporting and monitoring and should be strictly enforced.
- The procurement rules that stipulated the evaluation of three or more bids were inappropriate for a small island economy, especially when the bidding concerns the purchase of small items. More flexibility on these rules would have led to fewer delays.
- There was a notable success in creating linkages among the marketing, credit and production components, and this was largely attributed to the enthusiasm and imagination of the project coordination team, particularly the production officer. If such linkages are established, the income diversification process can become sustainable.
