The agricultural economies of countries in the Caribbean are based on one or two major export crops, sugar and banana. These exports provide the foreign exchange needed to import consumer goods. Over time, other activities (e.g. tourism, off-shore banking) have taken over as the principal economic activities in the region, particularly in the smaller countries. However, not all countries in the region have succeeded in this transition towards a modern economy. In some countries, agriculture constitutes more than 25 percent of GDP and agricultural development has significantly lagged behind the rest of the economy. As a consequence, many Caribbean countries nowadays run major agricultural trade deficits and some of them, notably the smaller and richer countries in the region are extremely agricultural import dependent.

Banana, sugarcane, rice, citrus and nutmeg are the dominant crops in most of the Caribbean countries. Livestock, forestry, and fishery production in the region is mainly for local consumption and livestock production, in particular, has grown rapidly because of growth in local demand.

Two types of farm holdings dominate: small family farms and plantations. The latter are quite significant in terms of production (i.e. sugarcane), but not in the numbers of farmers involved. Most family farms are small (less than 2.5 hectares) and, often on scattered plots.

The Farm Planning and Management Training Manual addresses the current challenges facing small-scale farmers in the region, their need for a market-oriented approach to farming and the development of management skills to enhance their competitiveness in both domestic and global markets.

The manual is intended for trainers of agricultural extension workers employed by Ministries of Agriculture and other front line change agents working through local government, non-government organizations, civil society and the private sector. The Manual covers a broad range of topics dealt with through a combination of classroom instruction, practical exercises, participatory group discussions and field work.

The Training Manual is supported by supplementary materials covering different aspects of marketing extension and farm management.

We see the manual to be a "living document" and would appreciate receiving comments and feedback from users so that improvements can be made in the light of field experience.

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