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Posted: Tuesday 16 July, 2024 at 4:05 PM

Agriculture sector monitors hurricane season following devastation

By: Jermine Abel, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- AGRICULTURE officials are closely monitoring the situation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada following the impact of Hurricane Beryl on the food sector within these territories.

     

    Since the major Category Four hurricane made landfall, it has significantly impacted the agriculture sector in both territories, hindering their push to attain the region’s 25 by 2025 agenda. It has been revealed that it will take some time to rebound and attain food sustainability.

     

    “The initial assessment is heart-wrenching for our farmers, for the government, and for the people of these countries. It is heart-wrenching because of the tremendous investment, the tremendous policy commitment, and budget support that was placed in the agricultural sector since 2020,” said Guyana’s  President, Dr Irfaan Ali said recent in a speech.

     

    In light of these concerns, SKNVibes News discussed the issue with Minister of Agriculture Samal Duggins to understand the lessons learned from Hurricane Beryl and to ensure that the Federation is adequately prepared during an active hurricane season.

     

    “Well, we have already integrated that and incorporated that into our programme, and so some of the drought resilience techniques that we've been using, and where we have structured our programmes, has already incorporated the idea of storm resilience, because we have to face it,” Duggins said.

     

    While acknowledging the reality that the region is “hurricane-prone,” the minister noted that “any productive plan must include some type of mitigation plan” that takes into account techniques that assist in mitigation.

     

    Duggins told SKNVibes News that they also consider having seedlings that can be easily transplanted for a quick turnaround should the Federation be impacted by any storms.

     

    “You cannot go against it, but then you reintroduce seedlings, and you're ready to go again. And So, part of our planned programme includes that mitigation concept. We are also stocking seeds because the fastest way to get back going is to replant,” noted Duggins.

     

    Concerns have been expressed over the state of the region’s agriculture sector in light of the recent impact of Hurricane Beryl. With the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season expected to be above normal, CARICOM member states have been quickly providing assistance. But what happens when the season reaches its peak?

     

    “The sooner you replant, especially when you look at short-term crops like some of those we have chosen—tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, carrots—these are the crops that you could get going, and within weeks, you're back up and running again," emphasized Duggins.

     

    So how is the Department of Agriculture preparing now that we are actually in the hurricane season?

     

    “The department isobviously monitoring the progress of our storms, but also making sure that we have the components on hand to get going again once, and in the unlikely event that we have any storm damage in the country. Of course, it's something that you cannot fully control, but we are doing as much as we can to mitigate and be prepared to bounce back in the event of a storm," revealed Duggins.

     

    The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to Novermber 30, with forecasters predicting up to 25 named storms.

     

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