2b.+Agricultural+diversification

__**The development of alternative crops**__

Alternative crops were the other crops in the colonies. The list consisted of the other crops that were grown in the colonies after emancipation. They were grown mainly by peasant farmers.These crops included limes, banana, rice, coffee, cotton, cocoa, nutmeg and coconuts.

__Introduction__

Economic/agricultural diversification began even during the slavery and sugar period because slaves grew other crops on their plots on the plantations either for their families to consume or to sell in the Sunday markets. When slaves were emancipated in 1838, the now free men wanted to get as far away from the plantations for the most part so many of them decided to become independent peasant farmers and cultivate crops to make a living.

The diversification process was further pushed by the abandonment of sugar cultivation on some estates. On such estates, some planters began to focus on new crops which required less labour. Some planters would also sell or rent land to peasant farmers who wanted to cultivate other crops.

Several features of agricultural/economic diversification should be considered; > > The peasants were very instrumental in making crops such as banana important exports. In colonies such as Jamaica, bananas were able to become chief revenue earners, putting sugar into the second place. The peasant activities in Trinidad and Guyana also saw crops such as rice becoming vital to the economies. >
 * __Mostly peasant farmers practiced the cultivation of alternative crop__sThe peasants had increased increased independence as a result of their cultivation of alternative crops. They were able to exist on the earnings from the crops as many were seasonal and as such they were always able to reap a crop. There was a ready market both locally and overseas for several of the crops, such as banana, coffee and coconuts.The peasants were able to rely less on estate work. This also made them more independent.
 * __The majority of planters continues to cultivate sugar cane.__

> The planters recognized the profitability of the alternative crops. Planters had long looked at the banana industry with distaste. However when the United Fruit Company started its own banana estates, planters recognized the value of the crop. Some planters even stopped planting sugar cane in order to plant banana and coconuts. The sugar estates that had been unprofitable found that this was a very good alternative.
 * __Some planters in some colonies decided to grow alternative crops.__


 * __The crops__**

__Banana__

The crop was planted by peasants but became important as an export commodity in **Jamaica** after 1869 when the first load of bananas was carried to the U.S. Many planters who had abandoned sugar cane in the 1880's started to cultivate bananas for export. In 1893, 113 estates cultivated bananas. By 1912, bananas, oranges and grapefruits made up about 56% of export earnings for that year while sugar made up only 6% of export earnings. The banana industry was greatly helped by the fact that the United Fruit Company also had banana estates and also bought the fruit from peasant producers.

__Coffee, pimento, ginger, logwood__

These crops were cultivated in small amounts by the peasants for exports in Jamaica. Coffee was also cultivated in Grenada.

__Cotton__

Owing to the high cotton prices during the American Civil War (1861-65), cotton was grown again with success in Tobago, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua and Nevis but with the end of the war and the return of low priced American cotton, production soon fell away again. The cotton of St Vincent was of particularly good quality.

__Cocoa__

Cocoa was grown extensively in Trinidad and Grenada and produced in smaller quantities in Jamaica, St Lucia and Dominica. In Grenada it completely replaced sugar cane.

__Citrus__

Citrus such as lime, grapefruit, oranges, limes replaces sugarcane in Dominica and was encouraged in St. Lucia and Montserrat for making time juice. In Jamaica oranges and grapefruits were cultivated by peasants for exports and up to 1912 made up over 50%of export earnings including banana.

__Spices such as nutmeg__

Nutmeg was planted extensively in Grenada. The island became known as the spice island. Nutmeg production was however not to reach the important levels of production as elsewhere in the world.

__Rice__

Rice was produced in large quantities in Guyana and to a lesser extent In Trinidad and Jamaica by East Indian peasants. It was first grown for domestic consumption locally in Guyana but later it was produced in sufficient quantities to support an export market. In 1889, Guyana had imported 24,000 lbs of rice and exported none; but in 1913,only 13,00- lbs was imported and a huge 17,000,000 lbs was exported. In time, rice production became the second largest agricultural industry in Guyana.

__Arrowroot__

In St Vincent, arrowroot replaces sugarcane as the primary crop.

__Coconut__

Grown in most colonies for copra and oilmaking. In Trinidad the high prices obtained for coconuts between 1918 and 1921 encouraged coconut cultivation to increase.

__Forestry__

In the mainland colonies of Guyana and Belize, huge forests existed and though a wide variety of timbers is found in each country the green heart trees of Guyana and mahogany of Belize are world famous. For some time, mainly to satisfy war time demands, Trinidad and Guyana experimented with rubber production but this stopped due to competition from Asian countries.


 * (Past paper question and answer)**

__Why were alternative crops able to increase production between 1838 and 1918?__

There was an increase in the world demand for several of the alternative crops and this helped to increase production. Crops such as banana, coffee, cocoa and rice were being demanded in large markets such as North America and England. Therefore there was a high price for several of these crops as many were willing to pay top dollar to obtain them.

These crops were labour intensive and so production required little equipment and sometimes even small acreages of land could be used to plant them. The production of bananas is an example. The peasants grew bananas on much less than an acre, yet the yield (amount of crops produced) was large.

There was no need for a lot of oney to be pumped into the production of these crops. Therefore little capital was required to start production. It was enough to have whatever fertile soil was available and good drainage as well as a few labourers. In fact a peasant farmer and the family was sometimes the only labour force on plots that grew these alternative crops.

__**Factors which affected the survival of alternative crops**__

__**Positive factors**__ >
 * The crops did not require expensive machinery to grow and harvest unlike sugar cane. These crops were ideal for peasants to develop since little capital was required.
 * A large labour force for cultivation and processing was also not required. Again this factor encouraged the survival of these crops since peasants and his family and an extra hand or two could cultivate and process the entire crop.


 * Unlike sugar cane production large amounts of land were not necessary. An acre or two cultivated any of these crops.


 * A major disadvantage of these crops over sugar was that they did not last long. However this was overcome because of nearness to the market, mainly the U.S. and fast efficient transport. Refrigeration helped to keep the crop in marketable condition especially bananas.


 * The topography of the land was also a factor that determined the survival of crops other than sugar cane. In some places sugar cane could not be cultivated because of the terrain. However other crops could successfully be cultivated in mountainous islands such as Dominica.


 * New departments of agriculture carried out research into the new types of crops, new methods of cultivation etc.Such departments were set up in Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados.


 * __Negative factors__**

(1) The main negative factory affecting the popularity and success in sale in alternative crops was a push to promote sugar cane in the early 1900's. At the **Brussels Convention in 1902,** European countries decided to abolish subsidies on beet sugar which meant that it would not be able to compete with sugar cane. This restored confidence in cane sugar which led to an expansion of sugar cane on idle land.

Other factors which pushed sugar production in the early 1900's were the adoption of the central sugar factory system,departments of agriculture began to focus on finding new varieties of sugar cane and the outbreak of World war I caused a reduction in beet sugar exports from Europe.

Therefore during the first 30 years of the 20th Century (early 1900's) it was difficult for alternative crops to further establish themselves in the West Indian economy since most attention was being paid to re establishing sugar.

(2) Natural disasters also discouraged the survival of alternative crops. This also affected sugar cane but the alternative crops had a less solid foundation and less capital so the alternative crops would therefore be more negatively affected by natural disasters.

(3) Diseases affected some crops

__**Social effects of the development of alternative crops**__

(1) Growing importance of the peasantry. The peasant/small holding class grew in number and importance because peasant farming became important to many British Caribbean countries. The peasant class wanted to improve its living standards for its children and peasant farming of alternative crops was the way to do so.

(2)Demand for social services. Social services for the majority of the population was poor and non existant. Because of greater profits brought in by alternative crops more money could be spent by the local governments on social services.

__**Related past paper questions**__


 * 1.Describe 3 factors which led to large scale cultivation of rice in Guyana especially the early 1900's.**


 * 2. Examine 3 difficulties which affected the Guyana rice industry during the period 1900- 1985.**


 * 3. Give 2 reasons why many British Caribbean farmers paid more attention than before to cultivation of crops other than sugar cane between 1875 and 1910.**


 * 4. Sate 2 reasons why some British Caribbean farmers were NOT successful in their efforts to grow and sell crops other than sugar cane between 1875 and 1910.**


 * 5. State 1 way in which farmers who were successful in producing those other cropsimproved their standard of living.**


 * 6. Name 2 crops apart from sugar, bananas and rice that British Caribbean farmersexported in the late 1800's.**