Agriculture in the Wider Caribbean

Although three main systems typify agricultural production in the Wider Caribbean, agricultural growth and export and import status differ in the different territories, for the different crops, and from year to year. Several natural and institutional factors restrict the development of agriculture in the region. Weather, pests, disease, and soil erosion are the most important natural constraints. The major institutional constraints are land tenure; lack of credit, market information and linkages between agriculture and other sectors of the economy; the biased orientation of the education system; lower wages in agriculture; and the inadequacy of the infrastructure.