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Business andfinancialtraining Technicalassistance andtraining in newagronomictechniques By providing inputs, technical assistance andtraining 16 Hot Pepper FarmersGoal: Improve the production and income of 16 hot pepperfarmers
By increasing hot pepper yield and income Installation of a dripirrigation system ineach field ActivitiesData Collection Provide farmingsupplies and equipment - The most recent visit (August 11-19) considered the most recent pepper harvest from 2021-2022 utilizingproject inputs- 16 respondents- 1 surveyor- Data collection included surveys and focus groupsProject Participants’ Characteristics Farmers earning greater than the established minimum wage2remained largely unchanged at 60% earning abovethe line. Endline calculations showed that 11 households (73%) are earning less than the $5.50 per day income line3, a decrease since the baseline which showed that 14 households (93%) were earning under the benchmark.Pepper farming is still not the only income earner for some of these farmers. Instead, it has represented a portion of their income earning activities. Project Snapshot
Construction of arainwater harvestingshed and tank
1
1A total of 16 farmers were surveyed, but only 15 were used for cross comparisons.2The Jamaican monthly minimum wage is $38,970 JMD, (Converted at $153.50 JMD to 1 USD, equivalent to $253.88 USD). These figureshave been updated since the baseline was conducted.3The World Bank established poverty income lines of $3.20 and $5.50. https://www.worldbank.org/en/home
2In-country Partner 1100% are farmers (main occupation).Income is seasonal and dependent on agricultural harvest seasons.
2105J Thatch Walk Farmers Irrigation Project Income Generating Activities Endline Report 1Timeline(18 months)2020 - 2022
JamaicaThatch Walk,St. Ann
Findings The project participants received either the Jamaican Red Pepper or the Jamaican Yellow Scotch Bonnet Peppervarieties for planting. At the baseline evaluation, of the 15 farmers under consideration, only 12 had previousexperience in planting scotch bonnet peppers, utilizing an average of 0.18 acres of land and harvesting an averageof 234.17 pounds of scotch bonnet peppers. However, by the endline evaluation, all farmers planted4at least onevariety of pepper.
The following table highlights the comparable differences over the baseline figures.
VarietyTotal AverageAcres UtilizedTotal AverageProduction (lbs.)AverageSeasonalIncomeJamaican RedPepper
B: n/a5
n/a
n/a
E: 0.78
4,334
$1,764.50Jamaican YellowScotch BonnetPepper
B: 0.18
433.336
$342.24
E: 0.46
2,199.67
$2,206.24
For the Jamaican Red Pepper variety, a total of nine farmers reported production. For this season, farmers soldan average of 4,316 pounds of peppers, at $0.42 per pound to earn $1,764.50. Farmers also reported expensesaveraging $665.58.
On the other hand, six farmers reported production on the Jamaican Yellow Scotch Bonnet Pepper. Farmers soldan average of 2,186 pounds of peppers, at $0.97 per pound to earn for the season $2,206.24. Expenses for thisgroup of farmers averaged $478.83.
4The 2021-2022 harvest season takes into consideration a winter peak harvest (Dec-Jan). Farmers typically plant four months prior, withgrowth starting within one month of planting. The crop can be planted year-round.5N/A: Not applicable as baseline evaluation only surveyed previous knowledge in Yellow Scotch Bonnet Peppers.6The average appears higher but only takes into consideration three farmers who planted at baseline with production ranges from 100 pounds
General Analysis Along with quantitative surveys, focus groups were also held to better understand the context and results from survey responses. Areas covered included opinions of the progression of the project, rating perceived significant changes, as well as challenges and opportunities faced due to the project. Among the most notable and important changes personally and within the community, knowledge gained in the technical and business trainings ranked number one. “… Wonderful topics teaching us how to do farming. In critical times like these, anything you are doing you have to have techniques …They taught us these techniques. We know what we are doing now so we can expand …” - Trevor G. “… Money will come, but the training was the launching pad.” - Gary D. Also mentioned in order of importance was the income earned from the sale of the peppers and the ability to make household improvements and take care of family obligations. “[The project] … has a great impact on the community. We all have something to reap and sell … I give thanks because I can turn on my light bulb in my house [bought with project earnings] … and each time I turn on my light I remember … pepper!” - Winston P. “The project is a blessing, and it helped a lot to buy food and send my children to school.” - Heloney M. Strengthening of the group and being able to provide employment to others within their community were also notable mentions. Project participants also spoke about the challenges and opportunities they encountered through the project. Challenges included diseases, subsequent losses in harvests as well as issues related to the variety of seeds and the changes in weather. On the other hand, opportunities included the ability to have more steady income because of sales, unity of the group and the work camaraderie it facilitated, as well as the opportunity to employ others during the harvest season. 3
Conclusion and Recommendations
While production and subsequent earnings were considerably higher than the baseline, initial project targets havenot been met. However, there are several possible factors which affected these differences. Firstly, farmers who planted the Jamaican Red Peppervariety has the advantage of a higher potential productionper acre than those who planted the Yellow Scotch Bonnet(YSB) (5,632.67 pounds per acre vs. 8,264.75 pounds peracre7). Those who planted the YSB mentioned the varietywas not adaptable as it pertained to shifting weatherconditions. Whereas those who planted the Jamaican RedPepper received the advantage of more stable and favorableweather conditions. Secondly, while project inputs assisted the farmers, droughtconditions during project execution resulted in limited wateravailability for the farmers. Only farmers who were locatedcloser to alternative water sources were able to fair better.Additionally, the presence of diseases, and in some casesroaming animals, resulted in losses for both sets of farmerswho planted either variety.Finally, data collection may not have captured productionnumbers for the entire season, as project participants werestill harvesting at the time of the evaluation visit.With these factors in mind, along with the planting ofvarious types of peppers, previously set proposal production targets may be insufficient, and as such, morelocally contextualized targets are required.
47Participants utilized partial acres. Calculation shows the variety’s potential, and not necessarily actual production by date of data collection.
Velma D. harvests red peppers.
Recommendations 1. Consider reestablishing variety specific production targets for future projects. 2. Consider alternate water sources per community and project and alternative distribution lines to assist in periods of drought. 3. Consider reevaluating the time for endline evaluations to account for all possible production within a season. This will provide a better representation of total production, income and losses, if any. 4. Consider future phases aimed at continued processing of products and reach of project. Next Steps Perform a data collection after the next harvest (2023) to compare data presented in this report. 1 2 5 Project participants showcase their red pepper harvest.