The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the Government of Jamaica, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) are joint funding sources for the four-year project, Diversification of the Caribbean Livestock Sector through the Production of Small Ruminants which was launched in Kingston, Jamaica on the 7-9 December 2011.
The overall Goal of the project is to contribute to regional self sufficiency in meat consumption through the enhancement of the small ruminant industry in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.
The main Objectives of the project are to improve the productivity and quality of meat (raw and processed) and the volume and value of the marketable off-take of small ruminants in the targeted countries Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. A related Objective is to enhance the income of small scale mutton and chevron farmers in the two countries.
This pilot commercial project aims to validate the basically untested recognition that for the small ruminant industry to be viable, both production and productivity must be enhanced given the significance of this industry within the CARICOM region.
The principal Collaborators of the project are:
- The Government of Jamaica, through Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)
- The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, through the Ministry of Food Production, Land and Marine Resources (MFPLMR)
- The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
- The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) as the Project Executing Agency (PEA)
The four components of the project are:
Component A: Breed Improvement & Dissemination of Stock (importation of 502 pedigree animals as foundation stock, followed by breeding, multiplication and dissemination to farmers).
Component B: Technology Transfer & Capacity Building (training of livestock producers, processors and, groups).
Component C: Small Ruminant Production (dissemination of improved stock with improved production practices)
Component D: Marketing and Processing (refurbishment of abattoir facilities, demonstration/training in meat processing and by-product refinement).
Newspaper articles on the Project Launch: