Banana and plantain farmers have cautiously welcomed the government’s newly launched crop insurance scheme, a long-awaited safety net amid growing climate threats.

While the initial phase only covers these two high-risk crops due to funding limitations, growers see it as a critical first step towards broader protection.

The government has allocated EC$1 million to the initiative, a partnership with GK Insurance Limited, prioritising banana and plantain farmers as the most vulnerable to hurricanes, floods and other climate shocks.

“When we looked at coverage for the entire sector, which includes banana, plantain, vegetables, and livestock farmers, we realised that [the funds] were not sufficient to do that,” explained Agriculture Minister Alfred Prospere at a recent press briefing. “But we believe that with banana and plantain farmers being most vulnerable, we decided to start with them.”

The scheme is designed to expand over time, with contributions expected from farmers and stakeholders.

“Government on its own would not be able to sustain the actual payment of the premium,” Prospere said. “We are hoping that farmers and all stakeholders would be more than willing to make a contribution… so that we can expand it.”

For farmers like Yanez Regis of Ti Kaye, “it is a really great, very timely initiative”.

“Especially now that we’re dealing with climate change…weather patterns are shifting,” she told St Lucia Times. Though bananas and plantains make up a small part of her harvest, she calls the initiative “a fraction of peace of mind for farmers; that would be amazing.”

Johnson St Aime, a Vieux Fort farmer with 13 years’ experience, sees the scheme as an incentive to ramp up production.

“Farmers need it,” he said. “We don’t know what percentage farmers have to contribute, but it’s a good thing, and that encourages farmers to get back on track planting more bananas and plantain.” He now plans to increase his plantain output.

Veteran farmer Helen Charles, who has worked the land for over 40 years, knows too well the fragility of banana crops. “We always have disasters,” she said, noting how nine-month growth cycles leave plants exposed to storms.

Despite optimism, some farmers remain wary, recalling past insurance efforts that collapsed. Regis referenced a private-sector attempt over a decade ago that faltered due to the crops’ vulnerability: “It doesn’t take a very strong wind to knock a banana plant down.”

Kheera Hilton-McVane, a Monchy-based farmer, remembers a pre-COVID credit union initiative that left farmers struggling to file claims after storm-related damage.

“If it’s a government scheme, I think we can be more optimistic—and it’s something that we would want to be a part of,” she said, hopeful for eventual expansion beyond bananas and plantains.

The insurance scheme follows recent agricultural investments, including a Castries innovation and entrepreneurship facility, free black sigatoka treatment for the rest of the year, and a $45.2 million fisheries boost.

Source - https://stluciatimes.com