REGIONAL AGRI-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

THE CDB WILL HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERALL PROJ ADMIN & COORDINATION. THE CDB WILL SELECT THE RECIPIENT ENTERPRISEON THE BASIS OF THEIR POTENTIAL BENEFIT TO SMALL FARMERS & RURAL POOR OF THE BARBADOS AND OTHER LDC"S IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION -- ANTIGUA,BELIZE,DOMENICA,GRENADA,MONTSE RRAT,ST KITTS/NEVIS/ANGUILLA,ST LUCIA & ST VINCENT. THREE TYPES OF ENTERPRISES WILL BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE PROGRAM: 1)THOSE THAT EXPAND AND/OR STABILIZE THE MARKET FOR SMALL FARMER PRODUCTION; 2)THOSE THAT REDUCE THE COST OF SMALL FARMER PRODUCTION; AND 3)THOSE WHICH INCREASE EMPLOYMENT FOR RURAL WORKERS. FOOD PROCESSING ENTERPRISES ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MAJORITY OF INVESTMENTS. OTHER POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE FERTILIZER MIXING ENTERPRISES & MANUFACTURING OF FARM IMPLEMENTS. TO COMPLEMENT ITS AGRIBUSINESS FUND,THE CDB WILL FINANCE ADAPTIVE RESERCH TO DEVELOP AGRIBUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES APPROPRIATE TO THE REGION"S RESOURCE BASE & MARKETS. RESEARCH SUB-GRANTS WILL INVOLVE PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY,CROP SYSTS,PROCESSING EQUIP,MULTI-PURPOSE PROCESSING FACILITIES & GROWER-PROCESSOR CONTRACTS. THE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS WITH WHICH CDB WILL CONTRACT FOR RESEARCH & TECH ASSIST INCLUDE THE CARIBBEAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE,CARIBBEAN AGR RESEARCH & DEVEL INSTITUTE,THE UNIV OF THE WEST INDIES,PRODUCE CHEMIST LABS (ONE IN EACH LDC),JAMAICA NATL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH COUNCIL,REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL ASSOC"D,ASSOC"S OF INDUS & COMMERCE AND THE JAMAICA INDUS DEVEL CO. (TECH ASSIST WILL BE FINANCED THROUGH THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVEL FUND & THE GRANT WILL COVER ALL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES). IN ORDER TO BE FUNDED,THE RESULTING TECHNOLOGIES MUST HAVE DIRECT UTILITY IN THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVEL PROG & MUST BE OF USE TO MORE THAT 1 AGRIBUSINESS FACILITY. IN ADDITION, ALL BASIC RSRCH MUST ALREADY BE COMPLETED. RESRCH PROJS WILL NORMALLY BE FORMULATED BY THE CDB. ALSO,CDB MAY FINANCE PROPOSALS FROM RSRCH INSTITUTIONS,ENTREPRENEURS AND OTHER SOURCES.