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IBSA TRUST FUND PROJECT 3rd QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT 2017

Poverty Reduction in St. Lucia through Livestock

Development

UNFA/STL/003/UND

July – September 2017

October 15, 2017

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PROJECT QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT

For the Quarter July to September 2017

EXECUTING AGENCY:

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Production, Fisheries, Co-operatives and Rural

Development/Department of Agriculture/ Veterinary and Livestock Services Division.

Implemented by FAO

1. PROJECT

Poverty Reduction in St. Lucia through Livestock Development (UNFA/STL/003/UND)

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Establish the Beausejour Agriculture Station as a national centre of excellence, where

the appropriate technologies and best practices in livestock production and livestock

management can be demonstrated and transferred to clients and stakeholders;

To improve existing bloodlines of livestock on the island leading to increased

production and productivity on livestock farms;

To provide support for the development of functional and effective livestock

producers’ organizations;

To facilitate sustainable livelihood opportunities in the sector through the

establishment of strategically located communal production facilities and the

establishment of pastures for grass and fodder production;

To provide requisite training and capacity building in livestock development and

increase the competence and skill of extension officers and livestock farmers.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

The project will create an enabling environment to increase the production of and

market access to safe quality livestock products through the establishment of

appropriate infrastructure, adaptation of relevant technologies and the provision of

sustainable support systems.

The project will establish the Beausejour Agriculture Station as a National Centre of

Excellence through infrastructure improvement and the breeding and multiplication

of quality animals to enhance the breeding programmes of livestock farmers in St

Lucia. It will also focus on the training of livestock farmers and the transfer of

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technology and innovation to enable farmers to become more productive and to build

sustainability of their enterprises.

Complimentary activities will include the establishment of strategically located

communal production facilities and the rehabilitation and establishment of pastures

and fodder banks for livestock nutrition and feeding.

For sustainability, the livestock farmers’ organizations will be strengthened and the

technical and managerial capacity, competencies and skills of extension officers,

veterinarians and livestock farmers will be improved.

4. PROJECT LOCATION:

Island-wide with more emphasis on the Beausejour Agricultural Station

5. COMPLETION DATE of PROJECT: (DD/MM/YY)

28 /02/2018

6. OVERVIEW

This report provides an overview of the project’s achievements during the reporting period July

to September 2017. During this reporting period, the major project activities were the following:

Preparation of a Case Study on the Small Ruminant Farmer Field Schools conducted

under the project for small ruminant farmers

Continuation of the livestock breeding programme, including artificial insemination

for small ruminants

Stakeholder consultations for the preparation of the national livestock policy and

preparation of the policy framework document

A Progress Report by the Database Management Systems Consultant on the

consultancy to prepare the livestock information database system

Preparation of the IBSA draft revised budget and work plan

Commencement of procurement and work plan activities

7. FARMER FIELD SCHOOL (FFS)

The Farmer Field Schools for small ruminant farmers commenced in January 2017 and was completed by the end of July in preparation for the graduation exercise on August 3rd 2017.

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A report in the form of a Case Study of the Farmer Field Schools for Small Ruminant Farmers in St. Lucia was prepared and is being finalized for distribution. The Case Study a detailed list of the Modules and topics covered during the entire programme and provides highlights of the practical sessions and demonstrations. The culmination of a graduation exercise which depicts official presentations by Ministry of Agriculture personnel, FAO and other officials are also included. Testimonials were given by two FFS graduates about strengths and weakness of the programme as well as what can be done to further strengthen future Farmer Field Schools.

8. CONTINUATION OF SMALL RUMINANT BREEDING PROGRAMME

As a follow-up to the capacity building and training workshops which were held in March 2017, livestock extension officers and veterinarians have continued to artificially inseminate sheep and goats using fresh semen collected from the male animals imported by the project in 2016. Some of these inseminated animals are now pregnant and will give birth between January and February 2018. During the last quarter, some of the off springs from crosses between the imported males and existing stock at the Beausejour Farm were distributed to farmers participating in the project to improve their breeding stock.

The acceptance rate of artificial insemination by small ruminant and swine farmers and the use of new technology has been exceedingly high, to the extent that plans are now in place to ensure sustainability and the establishment of a national programme to provide continuous artificial insemination breeding services to all livestock farmers.

Imported Boer buck on pasture

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Left to Right- Imported Saanen buck and Doe

Imported Saanen Doe on pasture

Housed Imported Virgin Island White Breeding Ram

The recently weaned offspring from the group of imported animals which were synchronized for natural mating with the imported males are classified by breed and sex in the table below.

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Breed Classification of Weaners by Sex and Number

Virgin Island White 7 Males 3 Females

Anglo-Nubian 2 Males 1 Female

Boer 1 Male -

Saanen 1 Male 1 Female

The first set of newborns from the small ruminants, with the exception of one male which was sold to a farmer, have been added to the Beausejour Agricultural Station’s stock as replacements. As a result 6 unrelated Males and 3 Females of the Virgin Island White (VIW) breed, 1 Boer Male and 1 Saanen Male have been added to the existing flocks and herds for further multiplication. The aim is to increase the breeding herd size at the Station to 12 Males and 60 Females for each of the breeds that were imported. This will facilitate the distribution of improved breeding stock not only to local farmers but also to other small ruminant farmers in the region through the Caribbean Small Ruminant Network.

The photographs below depict Crosses from the imported males and indigenous stock at the Beausejour Agricultural Station which were sold to some farmers who graduated from the Farmer Field Schools.

Crossbred Saanen with Nubian belonging to FFS Farmer - Andre Mathurin

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Crossbred Boer Female belonging to FFS Farmer – Kervon Marquis

Crossbred Boer Female belonging to FFS Farmer – Adrian Louis

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9. STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A NATIONAL LIVESTOCK POLICY

AND PREPARATION OF A POLICY DOCUMENT UNDER THE PROJECT

As a precursor to the preparation of a Livestock Policy document for St. Lucia as requested by the

Ministry of Agriculture the project manager conducted a number of preparatory interviews with

stakeholders within the livestock industry. So far, approximately 30 persons from the various

livestock sectors have been interviewed. Among those interviewed were administrators of the

Ministry of Agriculture, key individuals from the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards, the Ministries of

Trade and Commerce, executive members of livestock farmer organization, some individual

cattle, small ruminant, poultry and swine producers, feed suppliers and manufacturers. poultry

processors, poultry hatchery operators, agricultural learning institutions, financial and lending

institutions, Livestock Commodity Officers of the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division, meat

distributors and retailers, ex-ministers and the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of

Agriculture.

A draft status report of the Status of Livestock Industry of St. Lucia (Annex 3) was prepared by

the National Consultant and submitted to the FAO during early October 2017. This document will

be finalized and sent to the international livestock policy consultant who is currently being

recruited by the FAO to lead the process of preparing the policy document.

10. THE LIVESTOCK INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (AIMS)

Preparation of the information system, aptly called Agriculture Information Management System (AIMS) was initiated in May 2017 under a consultancy with a national consultant. This consultancy will continue until the end of November when the system should be delivered to the Ministry and rolled out. 11. PREPARATION OF A DRAFT BUDGET AND WORKPLAN

During the month of September a revised draft budget and work plan was prepared pending the outcome of the transfer of funds from IBSA to the FAO Sub-regional Office in Barbados so that implementation of key activities can commence. 12. PROCUREMENT AND WORK PLAN ACTIVITIES

Pending budgetary approval some preliminary work begun such as obtaining quotes for inputs required, selecting farmers for the additional Farmer Field Schools for poultry and swine farmers which will begin in November 2017. Plans for the establishment of a forage nursery to provide planting material for cattle, sheep and goat farmers have also begun. Frozen semen is being procured from the USA and it is expected that the shipment will arrive in St Lucia prior to the end of 2017. Study tours for livestock extension are also being planned to begin in November 2017.

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13. MAJOR ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 4th QUARTER of 2017

Planning for and start of a 10 week farmer field school for poultry farmers

Planning of a 3 month farmer field school for swine farmers

Workshop/consultations on national livestock policy preparation

Establishment of forage nursery to provide plants to cattle, sheep and goat farmers

Study tours for livestock extension officers to Jamaica

Procurement of cattle and small ruminant frozen semen for continuation of breeding

programmes

Finalization of procurement plan of project