Agricultural development and economic progress in the Caribbean Basin : report of the presidential mission on agricultural development in Central America and the Caribbean

Socioeconomic conditions in the Basin are reviewed and the region"s potential for agricultural and agro-industrial development assessed, with reference to specific commodities (including different varieties of vegetables, fruits, grains, and other products). Major constraints to such development are noted and steps to overcome them proposed. It is concluded that most countries in the region are experiencing serious economic difficulties, often related to unfavorable trade balances, and that the solution largely depends upon the revitalization of the region"s considerable agricultural potential. A comprehensive agricultural development strategy for the Basin, based on a major U.S. public and private sector commitment under the leadership of the International Development Corporation Agency (IDCA), is outlined.