Barbados’ agriculture sector is set for a major policy shift, as Agriculture Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight pushes to overhaul the government’s relationship with local farmers by linking public investment directly to verifiable production outcomes. The proposal, which introduces stricter accountability requirements for producers seeking state support, has already earned early endorsement from the head of the island nation’s oldest agricultural advocacy group.
Delivering a core plank of her policy vision at a Monday breakfast colloquium hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Nutritional Security, Dr. Munro-Knight emphasized that while the government remains committed to investing in the agricultural sector, the current model of unconditioned public resourcing is no longer fiscally sustainable. For years, she noted, publicly funded assets including allocated land, specialized equipment, and climate-resilient farming inputs have repeatedly failed to deliver tangible production gains.
To address this gap, the minister confirmed that new policy and regulatory frameworks are currently being drafted to embed stronger accountability measures, improve long-term sector planning, and ensure Barbadian taxpayers see greater return on public investments in agriculture. “We are also looking at how we establish frameworks for what I am going to call ensuring that when farmers and others access resources from the ministry, that we can also, in turn, get what we need,” she explained.
Dr. Munro-Knight highlighted widespread examples of wasted public resources across the sector, including cases of government-allocated farmland left completely idle for six to nine months after assignment, even as other producers wait for access to available growing space. “Other people want land, but I can’t give up the land just because your name is on a piece of paper that’s there,” she said.
She also shared details of a recent ministry initiative that provided climate-smart farming inputs designed to boost production efficiency, only for the entire project to conclude before any of the equipment was ever put to use on local farms. “The project ended… no implementation on the ground. None of those inputs have been put on farms,” she added.
Beyond stricter performance requirements, the minister argued that better stewardship of public resources depends on improved data sharing from the farming community. She noted that persistent gaps in basic agricultural data have severely limited the ministry’s ability to carry out strategic production planning, as many producers refuse to share details of crop yields, planted varieties, and harvest timelines. “We are trying to establish an information portal, but I have heard from my technical staff that we don’t get the information from the farmers when we come to them. Farmers don’t want to tell us what are their yields, what they’re growing, and when they’re going to be harvested. How are we to plan strategically if we don’t have the information?” she said.
While Dr. Munro-Knight said she prefers voluntary cooperation from the farming community, she did not rule out mandatory legislative or policy changes if resistance to data sharing and accountability continues. “If you want something from me, I need something from you,” she stated.
The minister’s policy direction received immediate public support during the subsequent question-and-answer session from James Paul, chief executive of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) – the country’s oldest farming organization. Paul agreed that Barbados has reached a turning point where all government incentive programs must come with clear performance expectations.
“The Government of Barbados provides a tremendous amount of incentives to the agricultural sector. The question that needs to be asked is, is the Government insisting enough on performance, because that is an issue,” Paul said. A former Democratic Labour Party backbencher, Paul pointed to the local poultry industry as a key example, where production has declined despite ongoing government incentives. He argued that all state support must be paired with measurable, enforceable outcomes. “I think sometimes we need to tie the granting of incentives to also the provision of certain things at the same time because you can’t have it both ways,” he added.
Before Paul could conclude his remarks, Dr. Munro-Knight interjected to confirm the ministry is already moving forward with this policy approach, and to highlight that the alignment between the government and the BAS signals broad buy-in for the reform. “I just want the record to note very, very clearly what you said. So that when the ministry does it, then I can say that there’s agreement from BAS for it to be done because it’s one of the critical pillars for me. I’m very glad to hear that we are in perfect alignment, that incentives then should be very much tied to performance,” she told Paul.
Paul maintained that government incentives remain a critical policy tool to support the agricultural sector, but added that stronger oversight and accountability will deliver far better economic returns. He pointed to recent growth in Barbados’ cattle production, which followed targeted state support for livestock imports, as proof that paired incentives and performance requirements work. “You have seen, as a result, this year an increase in overall production happening. So you can see that some incentives being given, something’s happening, but I think it needs to be tighter,” he concluded.