131 IMPROVING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF BANANA FARMS AS A STRATEGY TO IMPROVE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS -THE CASE OF IRRIGATION IN ST. VINCENT Ashley R. Cain, Keith Henderson and Simeon Greene INTRODUCTION used to channel water from rivers to the various farms. In some areas, remnants of The banana industry in St. Vincent is on the the equipment and canals used can still be verge of making significant investments in seen. These irrigation systems were allowed irrigating banana farms. The planned to deteriorate as the estate system of investments in irrigation are intended to production became unprofitable and estate significantly improve the competitive owners divested their lands. position of the industry in an increasingly competitive and demanding international Since the acquisition of the Orange Hill market. This paper considers why the use of Estate by the Government in 1987, the only irrigation in bananas is an important strategy major investment in irrigating bananas was for improving the international competitive- done by Mr. Victor Hadley in 1995. Unlike ness ofthe industry in St Vincent. previous cases, Mr. Hadley used drip/trickle irrigation technology for his bananas. This History of Banana Irrigation in St. investment was again facilitated by the Vincent presence on the site of a horticultural enterprise using a combination of drip and It is a widespread perception in the St. mini sprinklers. More recently, drip irrigation Vincent Banana Growers' Association system have been installed on ten (SVBGA) that the industry will not survive demonstration farms covering fifty acres, without major improvements in production using funds provided under the STABEX- and productivity on banana farms. It is also funded Banana Industry Development felt that extensive use of irrigation in bananas Programme (BIDP). is the most important initiative to achieve the required gains in production and productivity in St Vincent. THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF ST VINCENT AS A BANANA Little irrigation of bananas is done now, but PRODUCER during the sixties, seventies and mid-eighties, mainly estate owners irrigated banana farms Threats and Opportunities on the drier coastal areas. The estates which irrigated bananas used infrastructure and The competitive position of St Vincent and waterways developed for processing sugar other Windward Islands as banana producers cane and arrowroot. These farms were is under threat for reasons discussed below. mainly irrigated using overhead sprinklers and fuel driven pumps. Canals were often 132 Structure of production competitors (Table 1). The average Windward Island's cost of production is Production occurs primarily on small farms estimated to be US $9.50 per 401b box of less than 5 acres. An estimated 80 percent compared to US $5.50 for Latin American offarms are less than 5 acres. The 20 percent fruit (Comibert 1997). It is also estimated of the farms above 5 acres account for an that to achieve the required cost estimated 40 percent of exports. This 20 competitiveness the industry must aim for a percent, however, accounts for about 80 reduction in average cost of 43 percent. percent of exports from St. Vincent. Since low land productivity and low yields are two of the major reasons for the Cost of production relatively high cost of production, long term improvements in cost of production can only St Vincent is considered to be a high cost be attained through major changes in producer compared to its Latin American production technologies. Table 1: Costs of production for Selected Banana Producing Countries Producing Country FOB US$ Tonne (1992-3) Dominica 515 Grenada 503 Cote D'Ivoire 469 St Lucia 463 St Vincent 461 Cameroon 440 Jamaica 391 Colombia 200 Costa Rica 179 Ecuador 162 • Source(FAO 1994) The widespread use of irrigation on land Rising input cost subject to water stress is the only way that significant changes in the cost The cost of major material inputs continues competitiveness of the St. Vincent industry to rise. As shown in Table 2, between 1993 can be achieved. and 1996, increases in six key inputs have ranged from 1.5 to 13.0 percent. 133 Table 2 Changes in Input Costs 1993 and 1996 for Banana, St. Vincent Input Unit 1993 Units 1996 UNITS % Increase Cost Sale Cost Sale In Cost Price Price Price Price Price ,ECS ECS .ECS ECS Fertiliser Bags 39.98 40.00 44.24 48.00 10.7 Gramoxone Gal 48.81 , 64.00 50.62 62.00 3.7 Primicid Gal 117.25 140.00 132.50 140.00 13.0 Blue Roll 71.60 95.00 77.35 83.00 8.0 Diothene Furadan 25 kg 167.77 175.00 170.33 183.00 1.5 Vydate Gal 77.43 85.00 85.42 91.00 10.3 Declining farmer returns how farm gate prices have declined since 1992. With such low returns, farmers' Since 1992, there have been significant investments in sustaining production and declines in returns to farmers. Table 3 shows quality targets have suffered. Table 3 Average Farmgate and Export Prices 1992 to 1997 I. Year Farmgate Price Export Price Grower to Export , Cents/lb Cents/lb Price Ratio 1997* 29.95 48.3 61 , 1996 33.9 53.8 63 1995 _ 35.4 53.6 66 1994 , 31.6 59.9 53 1993 , 33.5 49.4 68 , 1992 43.8 59.2 74 * Up to May 1997 Continued Decline in SVBGA export fruit has also contributed to a lowering of volumes and earnings export earnings. Export volumes and earnings have declined Quality of product and reputation in by 41 and 47 percent respectively since trade 1992. The combination of low prices, low farmer confidence and natural disasters Banana quality in the EU is judged by up to (drought and storms) have contributed to• 60 different parameters. To be competitive, significant reduction in export volumes and the industry must ensure that fruit exported earnings. Export earnings have also been from each of the thousands of farms meet hurt by price competition between the UK these exacting quality criteria. The UK Multiples. Poor and inconsistent quality of 134 multiples who control a dominant and increasing share of the market are relentless and ruthless in demanding the As a result of these pressures and fierce perfect banana. The high variation in farm competition from large suppliers such as sizes, conditions and farming practices in St Chiquita, St Vincent remains a weak player Vincent make it difficult to achieve the in the market. The last three years have seen required cluster after cluster quality continuous reductions in the Windward's consistency demanded and largely supplied market share as companies like Chiquita by competitors such as Chiquita. Because of increase their share of the UK market. a reputation for inconsistent fruit quality, Windward Island fruit has developed a poor Weakening of SVBGA's strategic reputation that encourages the multiples to partners seek other sources, further eroding the competitive position of fruits from St St Vincent and its strategic partners (St Vincent and other Windward Islands in the Lucia, Dominica, Grenada and WIBDECO) market place. have not been able to produce sufficient volume of bananas in line with the new, Market share highly demanding dictates of the marketplace. Our share of the major On a per capita consumption basis, banana is multiples that control the lion's share of the one of the most popular fruits traded on the premium quality banana sector in the U.K. world market. St Vincent and the has continued to decline dramatically (Table Grenadines, however, have a very small 4). There has not only been a weakening of share of the international market for bananas. the Industry at the farm level but also a St Vincent contributes, on average, 23 weakening of our strategic partners. The percent of Windward exports, but Windward overall weakening of the competitive Islands export only a small percentage of position of our strategic partners seriously world exports. Windward Island fruit can be undermines our abilities to remain serious sold throughout the European Union, but for players in the EU market. various reasons, most of the fruit exported from St Vincent and the Windward Islands is Table 4: Sale of Windward Island sold in the UK. The UK market represents Bananas to leading UK Multiples 1991 - about 4 percent of world market compared 96 to Germany (13 percent), France (5 percent), , Italy(7 percent)(IICA 1995). It is likely that Year Sales Percentage the UK will remain in the short run, the (Boxes/week) Decline major market for fruit from the Windward over 1991 Islands. 1991 69000 -- 1993 57000 17.4 St Vincent's fruit is marketed by WIBDECO _ 1996 23000 66.7 through GEEST. Within the UK, the banana market is increasingly dominated by Declining world banana prices powerful multiples. These multiples are in intense competition with each other and they Since 1950, there has been a consistent demand increasingly high standards and decline in world banana prices. As shown in product requirements from banana suppliers. terms by 59 percent between 1950 and 1995. 135 Table 5 Real Decline in World Banana islands. Unfortunately, because of the rain- Prices 1950-95 fed nature of banana production, this is the period when our production is lowest Year Price (USS/tonne) because of drought. Our high production 1950 1000 . period coincides with the period of low 1953 825 market prices. This pattern of production 1956 850 and price has so weakened the financial 1959 750 standing of the Association that it has been 1962 650 unable to pay the farmer the kinds of prices that would encourage investments in 1965 , 750 1968 700 production and technologies to guarantee consistently high quality 1971 600 fruit.