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From Seed To Sale
- 1. From Seed to Sale How Farmers Can Reduce Risks in Vegetable Crop Production By: Keeley Holder Caribbean FARMERS Network
- 2. To Be Able To Unify To Compete, Is Of Critical Importance Mr. David Hatch June 17th, 2010
- 3. CaFAN Over 500,000 Farmers Over 13 Countries Unique Farmers Network Unifying Network Active Communication Channels A Culture of Sharing & Capacity Building A Culture of Youth Succession A Culture of ACTION
- 4. Risk & Disaster RISK = HAZARD + VULNERABILITY Probability Potential threat to Exposure & of hazard humans & their susceptibility to losses occurrence welfare DISASTER Farmer Realization of a risk Intervention Adrian Trotman May 10th, 2010
- 5. Risks Weather ‒ Largest risk factor this decade ‒ Alters seasonality of production ‒ Interferes with steady market flow needed to keep consumers buying ‒ Increase market competition Production Risk ‒ Pest & disease outbreaks Food Safety Concerns ‒ GAPs Crop Theft Market Access
- 6. On What Basis Are We Making Decisions? Ms. Elizabeth Riley June 16th, 2010
- 7. Decision Making Sentiment vs. Practicality What To Do First? Cheap vs. Costly to implement Tackle top constraints/costs ‒ Fertilizer ‒ Water ‒ Pest management Ease of assimilation Sustainable vs. Stop gap
- 8. Selecting Suitable Crops Market: demand, competition, shelf-life Profitability assessment Topography: mountainous, gently sloping, flat Season: wet / dry Irrigation: rain-fed, drip, sprinkler, big gun Labour: cheap, expensive, easy to find Crop Theft: Which crops are easier to steal? Pest, Disease, Weed Mgmt & Crop Rotation Legumes Crucifers Vine Crops Roots & Tubers Succession planning: What next?
- 9. Selecting Suitable Crops Example: Bananas Do not tolerate drought Shallow-rooted ‒ Increase risk of landslides on hillsides ‒ Will not protect against soil erosion Easily toppled by high winds Long time from planting to 1st harvest Large producers dominate market Conclusion Not ideal for rain-fed, low rainfall, hurricane prone, mountainous areas
- 10. The Thinking That Has Brought Us This Far Has Created Problems That This Thinking Cannot Solve Mr. Ezra Thomas April 13th, 2010
- 11. Marketing David Hatch June 17th, 2010
- 12. Marketing The DISCIPLINE of Market Leaders Customer Intimacy Operation Excellence Product Leadership David Hatch June 17th, 2010
- 13. As Long As The Risks Associated with Crop Theft Are Low, Thieves Will Continue to Steal Mr. Pelekelo Mwikisa May 30th, 2008
- 14. Crop Theft Crime requires multi-faceted intervention Minimise incidences vs. Eradication Identify thieves ‒ Workers, associates of workers, neighbours, outsiders, professional crop thieves Avoid sharing real-time production & harvest information Assess most vulnerable areas at least twice daily Encourage workforce loyalty & trustworthiness Patrol farms 1-3 weeks prior to harvest at peak hours for stealing Grow crops less attractive to steal ‒ Beans, okras, cucumbers, peas
- 15. Crop Theft Crime is a SOCIAL problem ‒ Get community involved (neighbourhood/farm community watch) ‒ Sponsor community activities/festivals ‒ Support religious institutions in area ‒ Donate to less fortunate groups ‒ Crime stoppers hotline ‒ Use media to inform public when thieves are caught stealing ‒ Advocacy & public awareness ‒ Keep adding & updating strategies
- 16. Crops Are Easy To Grow… Hon. Hilton Baptiste June 15th, 2010
- 17. Growing Crops Commercial Farming Backyard Gardening Livelihood Save money Sustainable Eat fresh produce Profitable Therapeutic ‒ Consumer-driven Not sole income ‒ Cost-effective Does not need to be ‒ Consistency commercial quality ‒ Quality Consistent yields not Food Security required
- 18. Growing Crops Deceptively simple Plants withstand immense neglect & still produce tolerable yields Complexity of crop production only revealed when farmers attempt to develop intensive production systems. Must manage numerous factors many of which are intertwined Increased Risks
- 19. Crop Rotation Promote good soil properties Balance the nutrient demands each crop makes on the soil Plays integral role in insect pest, disease & weed management Will be influenced by planting season (wet/dry) Maintaining Balance In Environment Sustainable Supply
- 20. Land Management Weed & disease management Soil erosion management Proper cultivation ‒ Conservation tillage ‒ Strip tillage ‒ Zero tillage Break up hardpans Divert water Plant grass waterways Reduce Flooding & Erosion Events Un-interrupted Supply
- 21. Seeds Purchasing online Breeders vs. Distributors ‒ e.g. Seminis vs. Seedway Selecting seeds ‒ Open Pollinated vs. ‒ Dwarf-size plants Hybrids ‒ Large fruit, miniature ‒ Heat-tolerant fruit ‒ Drought-tolerant ‒ Long shelf-life ‒ Resistant to diseases ‒ Brix (Sweetness) ‒ TMV, Downy Mildew, ‒ Flavour Blight… ‒ Genetically-modified ‒ High yielding
- 22. Transplants & Planting Material Absence of nutrient deficiencies Should not be ‘leggy’ (Too much nitrogen) Free of insect damage Disease-free Age Properly hardened to withstand elements Old seedlings not as vigorous Quality Planting Material Higher Yields
- 23. Soil Test & Nutrient Mgmt Measures soil nutrients & pH Maintains optimal nutrient levels in soil Recommendations for organic & chemical fertilizers Feed plants a balanced diet The most limiting Reduce susceptibility to nutrient determines growth & yield disease & insect pests attack Improvement in overall growth of plant Consistent Yields
- 24. Nutrient Management Appropriate timing for proper plant development ‒ Yield potential ‒ Influences weed & disease management Proper placement will avoid volatilization (Inorganic) Proper composting will avoid transmitting food-borne diseases (Organic) Improvement in overall growth of plant Consistent Yields
- 25. Irrigation Selection Reduce impacts of drought Maintain constant water supply Efficiency vs. Cost Is water scarce/plentiful? Fertigation/Chemigation Irrigation Types Drip Irrigation - high efficiency, minimized soil erosion, reduce risk of disease Sprinkler – keep plants cool, disrupt insect mating Big Traveler Gun – areas hard to irrigate, inefficient Central Pivot – large flat areas Improvement in overall growth of plant Consistent Yields
- 26. Irrigation Scheduling Evaporative Pan Tensiometers Crop Coefficient
- 27. Water Storage Reduce impact of drought Maintain constant flow rate Determine tank size Calculate expected effective precipitation from rainfall Calculate crop water needs Calculate supply (days) of storage ‒ ¼” rainfall = 6789 gallons/acre Constant water supply Consistent Yields
- 28. Bees & Pollination Bees are the BEST pollinators in the world 8 bee visits/flower for optimal yield Use non-toxic pesticides during flowering Higher Fruiting Rate Higher Yields
- 29. IPM Holistic approach More targeted Less pesticide use Effective application Correct timing Less pest & disease resistance Lower costs Scouting in tomatoes Improvement in overall growth of plant Consistent Yields
- 30. Pesticide Application Correct nozzles Wind speeds ‒ < 15mph Time of day Activity of pesticide ‒ Activate by sunlight? ‒ Need adequate water in soil? ‒ Mixing & decomposition Effective Application Consistent Yields
- 31. Mulch Reduce water loss Suppress weeds Reduce impact of flooding event (plastic) Reduce disease problems (plastic) White on black mulch Increase organic matter & nutrient uptake (organic) Improvement in overall growth of plant Consistent Yields
- 32. Windbreaks Protect growing plants Reduce erosion Alter micro-environment to enhance plant growth Intercept chemical drift Improvement in overall growth of plant Consistent Yields
- 33. Harvest & Post-Harvest When is the right time to harvest? Appropriate age of fruit/vegetable Optimal Flavour Handling produce to avoid damage Reducing post-harvest spoilage Climacteric vs. Non-climacteric (Mango vs. Orange) Ethylene-sensitive produce (Broccoli, Cucumbers) Optimal storage temperatures Correct packaging Reduce Postharvest Losses Greater Saleable Yields
- 34. Harvest & Post-Harvest Reduce Postharvest Losses Greater Saleable Yields
- 35. Cheap vs. Costly Cheap Costly Crop Rotation Mulch (Plastic) Land Management Drip Irrigation Soil Testing Big Traveler Gun Nutrient Management Central Pivot Agro-Meteorology Cold Storage Sprinkler Windbreaks (Netting) Tensiometers Water Storage Class A Pan IPM Pesticide Application Mulch (Organic) Windbreaks (Plants) Harvesting Techniques Ambient Storage
- 36. A Back Up Plan For The Back Up Plan
- 37. Recovery Grow short crops ‒ lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, okra, beans Grow low-cost crops ‒ sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, eddoes, dasheen, tannia, pumpkin Keep tabs on source of inputs nationally, regionally, globally Disaster finance plan ‒ Personal, Lending agency
- 38. Risk For One Actor Is An Opportunity For Another Actor Mr. Vikas Choudhary June 17th, 2010
- 39. Opportunity Global thinkers Efficient growers who are meeting market demands New technologies help lower costs & increase demand Agriculture is a competitive advantage for the Caribbean (David Hatch, June 17 , 2010) th 2010) The industry is in transition, requiring farmers to adapt their operations to the demands of the new market.
- 40. What Next? We CAN reduce risks in crop production! We CAN’T do it alone! Will you be our partner in implementation?