1. INTRODUCTION
This issue of SARD Newsletter introduces
the first in a series of summaries highlighting successful partnerships which have
produced significant benefits for the respective participants and have contributed to
Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development. The summaries are based on the project
profiles received, via completed questionnaires, from countries in the Caribbean and Latin
America. The first successful partnership, presented on page 3, features a dairy farm of a
secondary school in Guyana. Apart from direct benefit to the school, the dairy farm is
being used as a mechanism for training farmers, agricultural technicians and students from
several regions of Guyana and across the Caribbean.
In addition, this issue identifies the types of information which can be found on our web
site, and those agencies that support projects contributing to the sustainability of
agricultural and rural development.
2. SARD PROJECT WEB SITE
The web site has
information on the philosophy behind Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development. Other
web site links are still under construction. Very soon a Guest Book will be
installed, please register there when next you visit the web site.
Spanish-speaking visitors can access information in their native language by
simply clicking on the Home Page icon marked ESPANOL.
3. AGENCIES SUPPORTING PROJECTS WITH SARD CRITERIA
National and international public and
private sector agencies have supported diverse types of agricultural and rural development
projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. In general, support is given as technical
and/or financial assistance to agricultural and rural development projects (Table 1). The
country location of the project is shown in parentheses.
Table 1 Agencies supporting projects with SARD criteria.
Name of Organisation |
Type of Support |
| -National
Learning Institute (Costa Rica) -Agri-Future
Foundation (Haiti)
-Caribbean Conservation Association (St Lucia)
-Aid to Artisans (Guyana)
-Cooperation for Development (Guyana) |
Technical
Tech. , Financial
Technical
Technical
Financial |
4. IDENTIFICATION OF VALIDATED BUT LESSER-KNOWN ON-FARM TECHNOLOGIES
Please complete this questionnaire to
provide information on little-known, but effective techniques or technologies, which
farmers in your country have successfully applied on their farms, for example, the
application of remedies for the control of fungal diseases in crops or internal parasites
in livestock, methods for adding value to primary produce or wastes, techniques for
strengthening rural organisations, etc.
The completion of this form will give you the opportunity to recognise farmers who
have pioneered little-known but effective technologies/ techniques.
5. SUCCESS STORIES IN AGRICULTURAL
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Improved Dairy Herd at St. Stanislaus College Farm -improvement in
Guyana’s dairy sector.
In 1983, St Stanislaus College, a secondary school in Georgetown, with a 6.8 ha farm had a
dairy herd with three cows, two heifers and one bull calf. A decade later, at the end of
1992, the herd had increase more than five-fold to 19 cows, 12 heifers, two female calves
and one breeding bull. Milk production increased more than ten-fold, from 714 litres in
1983 to 10,502 litres per hectare in 1992. Milk production per cow doubled, from 1,215
litres in 1983 to 2,948 litres in 1992. Increased production was coupled with decreasing
production cost, from US$0.67 in 1986, to US$0.14 in 1992. Improved production and
productivity on this school farm can be attributed not only to the larger dairy herd,
modernised infrastructure and enhanced genetic quality of the herd, but also to the
improved capacity of the on-farm human resources, resulting in better record-keeping
systems and effective herd management.
Pivotal to the achievements of this dairy farm (a local, private sector entity) has been
an effective partnership among the Farm’s Management Committee, the Inter-American
Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the National Dairy Development
Programme. Not only did this partnership between local organisations and an international
one result in enhanced production and productivity on the school farm, but, the St.
Stanislaus College Farm has evolved into a regional training centre for students, dairy
farmers, and agricultural technicians, from both the public and private sector.
This contribution to the development of the dairy sector in Guyana was initiated when the
farm’s management committee recognised the need for and sought assistance to improve
their technical capacity and on-farm technologies. Sixteen years later, it is evident that
when the direct beneficiaries play an active and participatory role during the early
stages of a project, particularly during problem diagnosis, seeds are sown for fruitful
results. This success story demonstrates that when groups and agencies work together
towards the same goals, favourable results can be obtained and everyone benefits. Such
fruitful partnerships can benefit farmers in terms of increased economic returns. In
addition, a diversity of private and public sector organisations can also benefit from
improved capabilities and services, all of which contribute to sustainability in
agricultural development.
For additional information, contact:
Charles Carmichael,
IICA Office,
Georgetown,
Guyana
Tel: 592-20-68835/68347
Fax: 592-2-58358
E-mail: iica@guyana.net.gy
6. PARTICIPATE IN SARD NETWORK
|
Crop Production