Higher wages paid by other sectors, such as construction and maintenance, attract labour away from agriculture. The advancing age of farmers averaging 53.6 years as revealed by the Survey, suggests that farmers are limited physically in the amount of work they can do for themselves. Grenada’s rugged terrain also limits the extent to which mechanisation can occur, while commercial agriculture is dependant on hired labour.
Almost 75% of the respondents in the Survey indicated their interest in accessing a labour/land pool. The concept of a labour pool has been around for a long time, but it has not been implemented on a national scale. A labour pool operated privately or by Government could put competitively priced skilled labour within the reach of many farmers. Agricultural workers would utilise appropriate equipment and machinery whenever possible, making operations more efficient.
Having a large group of workers in a single operation can also reduce the amount of time spent by the farmers in supervision, thereby giving them greater freedom and opportunity to make better use of their time. Although people employed by the labour pool would be paid a more competitive wage, improved efficiency could lead to higher returns for farmers.
The traditional “maroon” is still used to pool labour on an informal basis by some farmers. This cultural event brings together farmers and agricultural workers in an area at different times to work on selected farms. This not only helps the participating farmers, the activity engenders a community spirit.
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