With hurricane season set to begin on June 1, the St Lucia Ministry of Agriculture is taking proactive steps to protect the island’s vulnerable farmers through a new insurance programme specifically designed for banana and plantain growers.

Agriculture Minister Alfred Prospere announced the upcoming launch of the scheme, which is aimed at reducing farmers’ reliance on government compensation following natural disasters. Developed in partnership with Grace Kennedy, the insurance initiative has already secured EC$1 million in this year’s national budget and will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

“This is the time of the year our farmers are most vulnerable,” Prospere said, highlighting the increasing challenges posed by climate change. “Every year, one would anticipate that there would be some natural disaster, whether it’s high rainfall, wind, hurricane… [or] tropical storm.”

While the programme initially targets banana and plantain farmers, it marks the first agricultural insurance initiative in St Lucia since the 1980s and is expected to expand to cover vegetable farmers, poultry producers, livestock farmers, fishers, and agro-processors.

Prospere emphasized that the insurance will help farmers safeguard their investments: “If my plantation, if my investment is affected or impacted as a result of a natural disaster, I do not have to solely depend on the government for compensation.”

Looking ahead, the ministry envisions a model where farmers contribute to the programme, potentially through deductions tied to sales via local buyers such as the Marketing Board, Massy Stores, or the hospitality sector.

As the island braces for what meteorologists predict to be an above-average hurricane season, further details about the insurance rollout are expected soon.

Source - https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com