The Land for the Landless Programme is a government initiative where arable land, both private and public, is made available through lease or license arrangements to bonafide farmers who otherwise would not be able to access lands.

About the programme

The programme is designed to empower Barbadians not only to provide for their families through Agrarian reform, especially in rural areas, but also to increase the productivity of value added agricultural products that will enable Barbados to become less dependent on imports.

 Management of the Programme

Cabinet in its decision in July 2001, appointed the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) as the executing agency for the programme. In August 2001,the BADMC established a programme office. This office is managed by a programme manager, a senior agricultural assisant, an extension officer, a field officer and a clerk typist.

 Programme Goals

• To increase the level of production in agriculture.
• To provide increased employment opportunities in agriculture.
• To increase the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product.

General Objectives

• To make available public and private agricultural lands to active and potential farmers.
• To provide a package of technical support services to participating farmers in order for them to obtain maximum returns on their investment in agricultural projects.
• To provide and refurbish farm infrastructure i.e irrigation, farm buildings,  or other facilities on public lands to facilitate the agricultural production process.

Specific  Objectives

• To procure and distribute public lands at Bawdens, Sedgepond,Haggats , Greenland, Turners Hall, Pine Basin and Bath as well as private lands at various locations.
• To establish an adequate database of agricultural land.
• To facilitate the development of communal grazing areas  at Turners Hall and Shorey Village.
• To provide marketing assistance to farmers in the Land for the Landless programme.

Request for Private Lands

Landowners are requested to make arable lands available to the programme. The government has lowered the threshold for land tax rebate, and waived  the property transfer tax payable on the lease by private land owners who make their land available to the programme for a period of no less than 10 years.

A landlord with at least 1/4 acre will be accepted in the programme. There is no upper limit to the land area that could be made available to the programme.

Land must have no encumbrancy i.e any outstanding debts and ownership must be legally determined.

• Training: Book-keeping and basic accounts, farm management procedures, agronomy, soil conservation techniques,agro-processing,and co-operative matters.
• Irrigation infrastructure
• Extension services 
• Marketing assistance
• Agro-processing assistance.

Funding for Farmers'  Projects

Contact the following agencies:

• Rural Development Commission (Rural Enterprise Fund)
• Enterprise Growth Fund
• Commercial Banks
• Agricultural Development Fund (ADF)
• Canadian Investment Development Assistance (CIDA)
• CARIFORUM Agribusiness Research and Training Fund (CARTF)

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORMS HERE:

(For public lands managed by the BADMC)
Land Lease Application Form

(For private landowners interested in leasing agricultural land to private citizens with the BADMC liaising between the two parties)
BADMC Application form for private lands