Project Name：Agriculture and Horticulture Development Project (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)

Project status：Completed projects

Cooperating Country：Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Project Description：

The potential for agricultural development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is constrained by an unstable supply of seed, which leads to unstable production of agricultural products of an uneven quality. This project will establish a modern seed field to stabilize the supply of seeds and seedlings available to farmers, as well as help such farmers to overcome cultivation difficulties encountered during the rainy season.Overall, this project will:
1. Propagate healthy seedlings.
2. Produce vegetables locally, as an alternative to imported produce.
3. Establish a sustainable production and marketing system.

Project No：TCD-2011-C04-01

Implementation Start Date：2011-01-01

Implementation End Date：2013-12-31

Source of Funding：Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project Objectives：

1. Train farmers to build the capacity to cultivate local alternatives to imported vegetables during rainy seasons through greenhouse-based production; establish a supply chain for vegetable seedlings and a wholesale marketing chain.
2. Improve facilities and production technologies associated with the development of alternative crops such as tomato, sweet pepper and cucumber.
3. Establish seedling production facilities.
4. Establish production and marketing groups by region (e.g. greenhouse groups) and crop characteristics (e.g. pineapple and watermelon groups); assist and provide guidance to farmers to organize production and marketing groups so as to improve cultivation techniques and marketing abilities, producing 375 tons of agricultural produce.

Executing Agency：

Technical Mission of Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Vincent and the Grenadines / Department of Agriculture; Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)

Implementation Arrangement：Members of the Taiwan Technical Mission will provide technical assistance and assistance for capacity building.

Project Performance：

1. This project will build capacity in production and management techniques among two stakeholders due to take over the project.
2. Propagating 300,000 seedlings will generate approximately US$7,440 in revenues, which will be used as part of next year’s funds, as well as yield indirect benefits of US$300,000.
3. Introducing Taiwanese-made, rainproof covering will increase areas under cultivation by 16 percent while reducing costs by 32 percent compared to the previous use of tunnel-type shelters.
4. Growing tomatoes under rainproof facilities will yield 18 tons of produce and raise revenues by 50 percent, or US$60,000, compared to production in unsheltered fields.
5. Using materials such as plastic sheets, brackets and nets will reduce labor costs, increase per-unit yields and increase revenues by more than 50 percent.
6. Organizing vegetable cooperative organizations and production and marketing groups will assist farmers to produce agricultural products and develop a marketing chain.
7. This project will increase the proportion of locally grown vegetables available to the market by 20 percent or more.
8. Establishing standards for agricultural products and branding such products will improve market competitiveness. In 2012, the average selling price of pineapples was increased from US$1 to US$1.50.
9. Assisting one production and marketing group and one cooperative will help farmers to establish a marketing chain for the sale of 100 tons of vegetables worth US$160,000.
10. Establishing a trade information platform will help farmers and personnel at the Ministry of Agriculture to schedule cultivation activities and minimize impacts upon farmers’ revenue and market prices.