Agriculture

The potential for agricultural development in the Turks and Caicos Islands is great. The soil type and climate are conducive for animal production as well as the cultivation of perennial and cash crops on some of the islands. North and Middle Caicos in particular have the potential to support both livestock and crop production. Soil composition, vegetation density, and fresh water availability among other factors make North and Middle Caicos more suitable for agriculture in the TCI.

The following factors should positively influence the government and private investors to exploit the available opportunities for agriculture development:

• Land Availability: The fertile lands of North and Middle Caicos are virtually untouched and are potentially prime for crop and livestock production. Maiden, fertile soils support rapid crop growth, which is a plus for crops. Rapid growth minimises the use of insecticides since pests have less time to become established.
• Pasture Production: Land availability affords another crucial advantage of establishing local pastures to grow fodder for farm animals. Though generally alkaline, the soil type and arid climate is conducive for the growth of many grasses, including Kochia Scoparia, Elephant Grass (pennistum purpureum), Calliandra calothyrsus, and Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum).
• Low Pest Prevalence: The Turks and Caicos Islands has the advantage of having a very low prevalence of some economic phytosanitary pests; and in most cases is free from the deleterious insect pests and molluscs. Low pest prevalence means that farmers escape the exorbitant cost of insecticides, manpower for chemical spraying, and cost of equipment to dispense insecticides. Consequently, production cost of both livestock and crops is greatly reduced.
• Organic Crop Production: Over 90 percent of the food consumed in the TCI is imported. Most come from large commercial farms that rely heavily of the use of chemicals such as fertilisers and insecticides for crops and growth hormones and antibiotics for livestock. Many consumers understand the serious health implications of consuming such foods and therefore crave for organically produced foods. There is a great potential for the cultivation of organic crops here that should be exploited.
• Over-dependency of Imported Food: The inclement weather that besets us annually has the potential to cripple sea transportation, thereby resulting in severe food shortage on the island. Such threat can be mitigated by a needed dynamic shift towards food security in the TCI.
• Economic Development: Agriculture development in the TCI would have obvious spin off such as revenue for the government, increased incomes for farmers/businesses, and jobs for many residents.
• Geography: The country’s close proximity to the United States of America is also a plus to agriculture development. In relation to trade accessibility (export to the US), the country TCI would enjoy a significant competitive edge, since fresh produce can be transported to the US within a shorter timeframe. This phenomenon reduces transportation cost and enables consumers to enjoy farm fresh produce. The potential for niche markets are available in such circumstances.
• Aquaculture: Considering the high cost of fin and shell fish, the potential for the establishment of aquaculture farms is tremendous. Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) from the TCI Conch Farm has already proven its worth on the US Market. Spiny Lobster (Panilurus argus) and Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) also have excellent environmental conditions for development.