Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

As a UK beef and sheep farmer what farming opportunities are there in the Caribbean ?

Looking at countries like Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia. If you have the capital to buy land and set up a working farm how would you go on with getting a work permit ? In a way I wouldn't be taking away a locals job, more than likely employing locals and the bonus of producing food and adding to food security.

I have been visiting the Caribbean for 15 years, and would love to farm there.

Thank you for any info.

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

You might find this interesting:


Management. Sheep farming in Barbados is normally a secondary interest and as such a backyard operation. Traditionally, sheep have been kept by peasant farmers as a ready source of cash or of meat for special occasions. About 80 percent of the sheep population in Barbados exists in flocks of 5 to 10 sheep. After having recognized the export value of these sheep, farmers have now joined under the umbrella of the “Barbados sheep Farmers Association” formed in 1975. There are about 60 members controlling about 20 percent of the total sheep in the country (Rastogi, 1975). Apart from a few large flocks kept by estates, the only sheep “farm” is the Government experimental farm at Greenland and more recently at Sedge Pond.
The larger flocks on the estates are reared under an extensive system whereby sheep are allowed to graze during the day and are penned during the night to guard against predators and larceny. Some estate farmers supplement grazing, especially in the dry season, with waste vegetables or with sugarcane tops ensiled with molasses and urea. Small farmers, however, follow the tethering system of management whereby 3 to 5 sheep are grazed in a group along the roadsides. Thus, children or cheap family labour is made use of to manage the sheep.
The majority of farmers deworm their sheep routinely every 3 months (Patterson and Nurse, 1974). Lambs are normally allowed to run with and suckle their mothers as long as the ewe will permit; if they are to be sold lambs are weaned at 8 weeks. Casteration of young lambs is almost never practised in Barbados.
Health. The health status of any sheep population is affected to a great extent by the degree of rainfall and humidity. In Barbados, most sheep are located in the drier coastal areas and are normally free of any major diseases. It has been claimed that they exhibit high tolerance or possess natural resistance to internal parasites (Shelton, 1976; Thompson, n.d.). Yazwinski, Goode and Moncol (1976) reported from North Carolina that Barbado sheep and their crosses are more resistant to gastro-intestinal parasites (primarily Haemonchus contortus) than purebred Dorsets and Suffolks. Barbado and their crosses had lower faecal egg counts, higher haemoglobin levels, higher haemoglobin concentrations per haematocrit and higher white blood cell counts than Dorsets and Suffolks. On the other hand, Mansfield et. al., (1977) found no significant difference in resistance to infection with H. contortus larvae between lambs sired by Targhee and by Barbado rams.


The full report is here:
prolific tropical sheep

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

Thanks for the info Moses.

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

Nothing in Cayman for you, Sunny. You would never be allowed to compete against the locals. Sorry!

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

Yes it seems that way in the Caribbean when you read through the forum. There is Australia but its a bit far away for my sun fix.

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

In St Lucia, one would think that in the beef and sheep farming area they would be bending over backwards to encourage you in.

Larger scale farming has typically been done as cooperative enterprises but in the area of produce, often in connection with aid groups such as Oxfam.

There are chicken farmers and their industry is supported by controls over the importation of chicken from the US and Canada - importers must also buy the local chicken in order to get import quotas. I personally think ostrich farming/ranching has potential.

It ain't easy! Praedial larceny is a BIG issue. Ironically, small-time farmers typically graze their cattle etc. on other people's land, with or without permission, so what comes around goes around but praedial larceny is a disincentive to others to get into farming and that is not good for food security.

The powers that be are looking to build a link between farming and the tourism industry in terms of hotels looking to source far more product locally and settlement for purchases working better than now - hotels tend to pay late.

Hotels would be important as the average St Lucian regards meat as meat and there is no differentiation between a fillet and scrag end.

Personally, I think that there are big opportunities in building linkages between farming and tourism as a tourism EXPERIENCE, as in Kittitian Hill in St Kitts.

Probably best to talk to somebody in the Ministry of Home Affairs about the potential for getting a work permit. It is best NOT to give too much away as 'good' business ideas have been known to get nicked.

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

Not commercially viable in grenada. If you want to live here look at other industries like hotels. I know of an ex large scale arable british farmer living here who runs a hotel now...

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

NB pretty much all islands dont offer work permits except for exceptional reasons, as you say, it takes food out of the locals mouths... You have to apply for citizenship really, which also is either very expensive or difficult to obtain depending on the island.

Re: Farming Opportunities In The Caribbean
 

Thank you for the replies. I will have a look in to hotel / self catering units. It seems St Lucia and Grenada my be more open than Barbados.