CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN
AGRICULTURE FEASIBILITY STUDY // ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

Real costs. Real yields. Real research.
Post-volcanic crop economics.

A feasibility study for reconstructing St Vincent & the Grenadines' agricultural sector after the April 2021 La Soufriere eruption. Arrowroot heritage preservation, volcanic andisol activation, and southern expansion for food sovereignty.

Pilot CAPEX (500 ha)
$2.9M
Southern divisions, Year 1-2
10-Year IRR
14.2%
Pilot breakeven: mid-Year 3
Revenue at Scale
$318M
10,455 ha full deployment (Year 10)
Jobs Created
5,450
Farm + processing + agro-tourism
Post-volcanic reconstruction imperative. La Soufriere's April 2021 eruption destroyed 90% of northern agricultural land, displaced 20,000 people, and wiped out the world's largest arrowroot production. Three years later, volcanic soils are entering their mineral-enrichment phase — the destruction has created the conditions for the most productive soils in the Eastern Caribbean. This study provides the economic case for turning disaster into agricultural renaissance.
FAO YIELD DATANEMO SVGSVG ARROWROOT ASSOC.OECS/CDEMA PDNACARICOM TRADE DATAEU-CARIFORUM EPA
FOOD SECURITY CROPS

Priority Crops for Import Substitution

SVG's traditional root crops are naturally hurricane-resilient (underground storage organs survive wind) and thrive in volcanic soils. These are the foundation of food security.

CropTypeYield/haRevenue/haCycles/yr
Dasheen (Taro)ROOT8-15 t/ha$5,000-10,0001/yr
Sweet PotatoROOT10-18 t/ha$4,000-8,0001.5-2/yr
EddoeROOT6-12 t/ha$4,500-9,0001/yr
Banana / PlantainFRUIT15-30 t/ha$6,000-12,000Year-round
BreadfruitTREE10-25 t/ha$5,000-12,000Year-round
Callaloo / GreensVEG12-25 t/ha$15,000-30,0005-7/yr
TomatoesVEG20-35 t/ha$20,000-35,0002-3/yr
Hot PeppersVEG10-20 t/ha$12,000-25,0002/yr
Root crop resilience advantage: Dasheen, sweet potato, eddoe, and arrowroot store their edible product underground. During hurricane events, above-ground foliage may be stripped but the tuber/rhizome survives intact. In the 2021 eruption, southern root crop fields that received only light ash fall (less than 5cm) produced harvestable tubers within weeks of the event. This inherent resilience makes SVG's traditional crops the ideal foundation for a dual-threat (volcano + hurricane) agricultural strategy.
EXPORT & PREMIUM CROPS

Volcanic Soil Premium: Heritage & High-Value

SVG's unique position as the world's arrowroot capital, combined with newly mineral-enriched volcanic soils, creates premium export opportunities unavailable to any competitor.

Arrowroot (heritage)
World monopoly; non-GMO premium; volcanic soil branding
YIELD
8-15 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$24,000-75,000
Fine Flavour Cocoa
10-year investment; shade-grown; single-origin premium
YIELD
0.5-1.5 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$3,000-8,000
Ginger
Global wellness market; volcanic soil mineral content
YIELD
20-35 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$25,000-55,000
Turmeric
EU-CARIFORUM EPA duty-free access
YIELD
25-30 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$22,000-40,000
Passion Fruit
Caribbean + European market demand
YIELD
15-25 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$25,000-50,000
ARROWROOT ECONOMICS -- WORLD MONOPOLY POSITION
Starch Yield
2-4 t/ha
From 8-15 t/ha raw rhizome; 25-30% starch extraction rate
Premium Starch Price
$8,000-15,000/t
Pharmaceutical grade: $15,000+; food grade: $8,000-12,000; cosmetic: $10,000-14,000
Revenue per Hectare
$24,000-75,000
Depending on grade, certification, and volcanic-soil branding premium
Market Position
~90% global share
No viable competitor at scale. St Kitts, Bermuda produce trace quantities. SVG IS the market.
Volcanic Branding
20-40% price premium
Post-eruption marketing: "Grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil" commands premiums in health food markets
EU Market Access
Duty-free via EPA
EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement provides tariff-free access to 450M consumer market
VOLCANIC SOIL PREPARATION

Post-Eruption Soil Amendment Programme

Northern volcanic zone soils require specific amendment before agricultural activation. These costs are unique to SVG and represent the investment required to unlock volcanic soil fertility.

Lime Application (northern zone)
Critical
pH correction from 4.5 to 6.0; required only in heavy tephra zones (Charlotte, north St. Andrew)
$400-600/ha
Organic Matter Incorporation
High
Green manure, cover crop residue, composted biomass to rebuild OM% in new volcanic soil
$200-400/ha
Mycorrhizal Inoculation
High
Volcanic soils lack native soil biome; AMF inoculation accelerates nutrient cycling by 12-18 months
$150-250/ha
Phosphorus Stabilisation
Moderate
Allophane clays fix phosphorus; rock phosphate + OM combination prevents P lockup
$100-200/ha
Windbreak Establishment
High
Living fences (Gliricidia, Leucaena) for hurricane wind reduction + nitrogen fixation
$300-500/ha
Erosion Control (slopes)
Critical
Contour hedgerows, vetiver grass barriers on >15% slopes; critical on fresh tephra
$250-450/ha
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Setup Costs: Pilot vs Full Deployment

ItemPilot (500 ha)Full (10,455 ha)Description
Land Preparation$450K$3,800KBush clearing, volcanic soil amendment, terracing on slopes
Soil Amendment (volcanic zone)$180K$2,400KLiming, OM incorporation, mycorrhizal inoculation
Equipment$380K$2,200KTractors, tillers, sprayers, transport (duty-free imports)
Irrigation$320K$2,800KDrip systems, rainwater harvesting, spring capture (volcanic aquifer)
Infrastructure$520K$3,200KPacking house, cold storage, arrowroot processing upgrade
Nursery & Seedbank$280K$1,200KArrowroot rhizomes, dasheen suckers, banana tissue culture, breadfruit nursery
Protected Agriculture$350K$1,800KShade houses, polytunnels for wind protection on exposed sites
Contingency (15%)$372K$2,610KRisk buffer for volcanic/hurricane compound events
TOTAL CAPEX$2,852K$20,010KAll costs in USD thousands
SVG cost advantage vs other Caribbean islands: Despite volcanic soil amendment costs unique to SVG, total per-hectare CAPEX is competitive because: (1) volcanic aquifer provides superior water availability reducing irrigation costs; (2) volcanic mineral enrichment reduces fertiliser needs by 40-60% over 10 years; (3) existing road infrastructure to northern agricultural zones (built for evacuation) reduces access costs; (4) SVG's small size means no farm is more than 30 minutes from port.
GRENADINES AGRICULTURE

Salt-Tolerant Agriculture: The Grenadines

The southern Grenadine islands (Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island, Mayreau) face zero volcanic risk but require salt-tolerant crop selection due to maritime exposure.

Coconut (copra + water)
YIELD
6,000-10,000 nuts/ha
REVENUE/HA
$8,000-20,000
Inherently salt-tolerant; tourism market for coconut water; copra oil production
Sea Island Cotton
YIELD
0.5-1.0 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$10,000-25,000
Heritage Grenadines crop; premium textile fibre; revival interest from sustainable fashion
Aloe Vera
YIELD
15-25 t/ha
REVENUE/HA
$12,000-30,000
Drought and salt tolerant; cosmetic/pharmaceutical markets; minimal irrigation needed
Moringa
YIELD
4-8 t/ha (leaf)
REVENUE/HA
$8,000-18,000
Superfood demand; tolerates poor/saline soils; leaf powder export market growing 10%/yr
Executive BriefEntity StructureProof Annex
CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN
AGRICULTURE FEASIBILITY // ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
ALL DATA: FAO + NEMO SVG + SVG ARROWROOT ASSOCIATION + OECS/CDEMA + EU-CARIFORUM EPA
2026-06-12