Participatory Technology Development in a Market-Driven Environment- A Case Study on Marilissa Farms

The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) identified the need for agricultural technology development to be: market driven to afford regional producers a competitive edge even in their domestic markets: This paper looks at partieipatory technology development on Marilissa Fanus, a CARDI small ruminant project fann in Trinidad. An examination of the impact of technical and business development interventions (undertaken between 1994-97) is made OIl a produetion system which is geared pritn".rily towards the provision ofhigh quality lamb into a niche market developed and implemented by CARDI. Increases in the quality and size of forage banks and pastures (from 1.2 ha to 4.4 hal over the period contributed to a decrease in average monthly concentrate feed and health costs from TTS9.000 to TTS3,SOO despite a 10fold increase in the sheep population. Consequently ewe mortality rates due to pregnancy toxaemia have been reduced from 36%.to 0.7% with corresponding decreases in lamb mortality from 6S% to 20%. With an increase in the size ofthe breeding flock from 23 to 226 breeding ewes between October 1994 and October 1997, 􀀀~􀀀a􀀀r􀀀i􀀀l􀀀i􀀀s􀀀s􀀀a Farms is on target to stabilize at SOO breeding ewes by the end of 1998 without any external sourcing ofbreeding ewes. This will facilitate an estimated target annual production of22,000 kg ofdressed lamb carcasses supplied under strict market quality control parameters compared to a 700 kg production level in 1994. It is expected that revenues from sheep production at Marilissa will ii)crease from the 1994 level ofTTS1S,000 to TTSS30,000 via supplies to the CARDI- developed niche market alone.