@article{Persad:256428,
      recid = {256428},
      author = {Persad, Seunarine and Rampersad, Ian and Roop, Ramgopaul},
      title = {FOOD CROP PRODUCTION AND LAND MANAGEMENT FOR CARONI (1975)  LIMITED '2 ACRE FARMS' IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO},
      address = {2009-07-12},
      number = {1876-2017-314},
      pages = {12},
      year = {2009},
      abstract = {Establishment of crop and livestock farms, including 7,800  '2-acre' farms and 16 large farms, on Caroni (1975) Ltd  extensive sugar cane land holdings, is a key agricultural  diversification policy initiative in Trinidad and Tobago.  The development objective is the sustainable management of  strategic agricultural land resources for increased food  production, employment and food security. Field surveys  conducted in 2008/2009 indicate that < 5% of 2- acre plots  developed were occupied and < 3% engaged in productive  agriculture, although high land development expenditure was  incurred. Soil and land use investigations and analyses of  the '2-acre' farms, conducted island-wide, confirm that  agricultural utilization is adversely influenced by a range  of technical and socio-economic constraints, including,  inter alia, impoverished, acidic, heavy clay soils;  inadequate drainage, insufficient irrigation and poor  access infrastructure; land clearing, tillage and soil  amelioration challenges; lack of technical and related  extension support; and limited farmer training, knowledge  and expertise in intensive soil and crop management. The  '2-acre' farm model as proposed is not feasible as a  production unit and has minimal impact on national food  production and food security. An advanced integrated land  use model (TTABA Model) is designed to mitigate the  technical and socioeconomic constraints while increasing  sustainable production of strategic food commodities -  sweet potato, cassava, bananas, vegetables, legumes and  tropical fruits- and while utilizing 7,400 hectares of  former sugar cane lands. The TTABA model proposes  consolidation of '2- acre farms' into discrete land  management units, based on land capability criteria, and  supported with the technical and financial resources to  improve soil management, tillage, irrigation, agronomy,  post-harvest quality, financing and market requirements for  effective diversification to sustainable food production  farms.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/256428},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.256428},
}