The Impact of Farm Roads on Agricultural and Rural Development

Caribbean countries are highly dependent on public transportation for the purposes of freight and personal movement. A significant proportion of the road networks in these countries are however in relatively poor condition. Consequently, transportation to and from rural communities is frequently impaired and this contributes to intermittent and sometimes extended isolation of these communities from agricultural and socio-economic development opportunities. There is also implication for the level of poverty experienced by persons domicile in deep rural communities. Funding for rural/farm road construction and maintenance, has been a major challenge to Caribbean public sectors. The lack of funding for farm road construction and maintenance has contributed to the ‘early failure’ of these roads. If government’s agricultural policy framework speaks to increased and sustained development of the sector, then farm road construction and maintenance has to be a priority area for investment. This paper articulates the main benefits of investing in farm road development programmes, (making references to case studies in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean) and draws attention to some salient issues that have significant bearing on the nature of their impact on agricultural and rural development.