CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN

AGRICULTURE FEASIBILITY STUDY // BARBADOS

Real costs. Real yields. Real research.
Every number sourced and cited.

A detailed feasibility study for activating 13,468 hectares of idle Barbados grassland. FAO yield benchmarks, BADMC lease rates, Caribbean Export trade data, IDB policy analysis. 40+ cited sources. No estimates — research.

Pilot CAPEX (200 ha)

$3.6M

Including 15% contingency

10-Year IRR

18.5%

Pilot breakeven: mid-Year 4

Annual Revenue at Scale

$13.9M

1,500 ha full deployment (Year 5)

Jobs Created

8,250

More than doubling ag workforce

Full 803-line report with line-item costs, per-crop economics, seasonal risk matrix, year-round production methods, and Barbados-specific policy alignment. Sources include FAO, IDB, CARICOM, Caribbean Export, CARDI, CABI, UNCCD, University of the West Indies.

FAO YIELD DATAIDB POLICY ANALYSISCARICOM TRADE DATABADMC RATESEU-CARIFORUM EPA

SECTION 1

Setup Costs

What it actually costs to convert idle grassland to productive farmland in Barbados. Equipment costs reflect 20% duty-free savings under Ministry of Agriculture concessions.

Land Preparation

$690K

$5.2M full

Equipment

$480K

$2.8M full

Irrigation

$550K

$4.1M full

Infrastructure

$840K

$3.5M full

Protected Agriculture

$600K

$3.0M full

Contingency (15%)

$474K

$2.8M full

200 HA PILOT

$3.63M

$18,170 per hectare all-in

1,500 HA FULL SCALE

$21.4M

$14,260 per hectare (economies of scale)

Barbados provides duty-free import concessions on all agricultural machinery, equipment, irrigation systems, and inputs — saving 15-25% on equipment costs.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Barbados

SECTION 2

Crop Strategy: 70% Food Security, 30% Export

Feed the island first, then monetise surplus. All yields from FAO Caribbean benchmarks and CARICOM agricultural intelligence. Revenue at farm-gate domestic prices (edible) and export terminal market prices (high-value).

70% Edible — food security staples, vegetables, herbs

30% Export — hot peppers, tropical fruits, spices

EDIBLE CROPS (70% OF ACREAGE)

Sweet Potatoes

12-20 t/ha

$6,000-10,000/ha

1.5-2/yr

Cassava

10-18 t/ha

$4,000-7,500/ha

1/yr

Yams

10-15 t/ha

$7,000-12,000/ha

1/yr

Breadfruit

15-30 t/ha

$8,000-15,000/ha

Year-round

Tomatoes

25-40 t/ha

$24,000-40,000/ha

2-3/yr

Sweet Peppers

15-25 t/ha

$18,000-30,000/ha

2/yr

Lettuce / Greens

15-25 t/ha

$20,000-40,000/ha

6-8/yr

Cucumbers

20-35 t/ha

$12,000-22,000/ha

3/yr

EXPORT / HIGH-VALUE CROPS (30% OF ACREAGE)

Scotch Bonnet

$35,000-80,000

15-25 t/ha — Demand exceeds supply 713%

Ginger

$25,000-55,000

20-35 t/ha — Surging global wellness demand

Turmeric

$22,000-40,000

25-30 t/ha — EU duty-free access

Passion Fruit

$25,000-50,000

15-25 t/ha — 12-18 month start

Papaya

$20,000-35,000

40-60 t/ha — 9-12 month start

KEY ADVANTAGE

Idle grassland qualifies for accelerated organic certification

Organic certification requires 3 years without chemical application. Barbados grassland has been fallow 5-30 years since the sugar industry collapse — the transition period has already elapsed naturally. Organic produce commands 2-3x price premiums in EU, UK, US, and Canadian markets.

Scotch Bonnet

Conv: $3.00/kg → Organic: $6-8/kg

+100-167% premium

Ginger

Conv: $1.50/kg → Organic: $3-5/kg

+100-233% premium

Turmeric

Conv: $1.00/kg → Organic: $2.50-4/kg

+150-300% premium

Sources: Rodale Institute | EU-CARIFORUM EPA duty-free quota-free access | Dominican Republic = EU 5th largest organic supplier

SECTION 3

Seasonal Risk & Year-Round Production

Barbados has real agricultural risks. Here is what they are, what they cost, and how to mitigate them.

Hurricane Season

HIGH

Jun-Nov — 15%/yr probability — 10-20% crop value

Protected agriculture reduces loss 60-80%. Root crops underground = hurricane-proof. CCRIF insurance.

Drought

HIGH

Dec-May — 25%/yr probability — Yield reduction 30-50%

Drip irrigation (40-70% water savings). SCWRP reclaimed water by 2030. Rainwater harvesting.

Pests & Disease

MEDIUM

Year-round — 20%/yr probability — 10-15% with IPM

Insect-exclusion net houses. Biological control. Crop rotation. CABI IPM protocols.

Market Volatility

MEDIUM

Year-round — 30%/yr probability — Price swings 20-40%

Diversified crop mix. Contract farming. Value-added processing. Multiple export channels.

YEAR-ROUND PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Shade House

$15-30K/ha

1.5-2x

20-30% saved

Low

Insect-Exclusion Net

$25-45K/ha

2-2.5x

20-30% saved

Low-Med

Polytunnel

$40-70K/ha

2-3x

30-40% saved

Medium

Tropical Greenhouse

$80-150K/ha

3-4x

40-60% saved

Med-High

Advanced CEA

$250-620K/ha

4-6x

60-80% saved

High

Recommended pilot: 8 ha shade houses + 5 ha polytunnels + 2 ha greenhouse = $690K for 15 ha protected

THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGE

Satellite Monitoring at a Fraction of the Cost

Large-scale plantations spend $50,000-200,000/year on precision agriculture systems. Through CaribVista, every farmer gets the same technology at a shared cost — powered by IAGRO SAT's satellite infrastructure.

Crop Health (NDVI)

Every 10m pixel monitored every 5 days via Sentinel-2. Detect stress before it is visible to the human eye. Colour-coded parish maps.

Pest & Disease Early Warning

Spectral signatures detect chlorosis, wilting, and fungal infection weeks before visual symptoms. Targeted intervention saves 30-50% on chemicals.

Irrigation Optimisation

Soil moisture proxy from radar (Sentinel-1) + thermal stress from Landsat. Know exactly when and where to irrigate. 40-70% water savings.

Yield Forecasting

ML models trained on Caribbean crop phenology predict harvest volumes 6-8 weeks ahead. Plan logistics, negotiate contracts, reduce post-harvest loss.

Hurricane Damage Assessment

Automatic before/after NDVI comparison within 48 hours of any tropical storm. Quantify damage per field for insurance claims (CCRIF).

Land Use Change Detection

Monthly pixel-level classification tracks what is planted where. Detect encroachment, abandonment, or unauthorised land use in real time.

COST COMPARISON

STANDALONE PRECISION AG

$250+/ha/yr

Drones, sensors, software, analysts

→

IAGRO SAT SHARED PLATFORM

$15-30/ha/yr

Same satellite data. Shared infrastructure.

This is the multiplier. Sentinel-2 delivers free open-access imagery every 5 days at 10m resolution. IAGRO SAT processes it into actionable intelligence. CaribVista farmers get enterprise-grade precision agriculture at smallholder prices — the same technology that billion-dollar agribusinesses use.

THE FULL LOOP

01

Satellite identifies idle land

WorldCover classification at 10m — every grassland pixel mapped

02

Feasibility validates economics

Per-crop revenue, setup costs, seasonal risk — all researched

03

CaribVista activates farming

Leases land, employs farmers, manages production at scale

04

IAGRO SAT monitors every hectare

NDVI, pest detection, yield forecast, hurricane damage — automated

05

Data drives decisions

When to irrigate, where pests are spreading, which fields yield most

06

Evidence proves impact to funders

CDB, EU, World Bank see real before/after satellite proof

SECTION 5

Financial Projections

200 HA PILOT — 5-YEAR P&L (CONSERVATIVE)

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 5
Gross Revenue	$1.99M	$2.65M	$3.22M	$3.79M
Operating Costs	$2.48M	$2.48M	$2.53M	$2.60M
Gross Margin	-$492K	+$171K	+$692K	+$1.19M
CAPEX Amort. (10yr)	$363K	$363K	$363K	$363K
Net Income	-$855K	-$192K	+$329K	+$827K

18.5%

10-Year IRR (Pilot)

22.3%

10-Year IRR (Full Scale)

$18.5M

NPV at 1,500 ha (8%)

Mid-Y4

Pilot Breakeven

IMPACT AT FULL SCALE (1,500 HA)

5,500-8,250

Direct jobs created

2x current ag workforce

$18.7M/yr

Import substitution

22-35% of fresh produce imports

$40-60M/yr

With agro-processing

10-15% of total food import bill

25%

CARICOM Vision 25 by 2030

Import bill reduction target

CARIBVISTA | IAGRO SAT CARIBBEAN // FEBRUARY 2026

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