DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY TROPICAL STORM BRETT IN JUNE LED TO A SMALL-SCALE FOOD CRISIS THAT STABILIZED IN LATE NOVEMBER.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development, Hon. Alfred Prospere, recently presented an overview of the challenges and accomplishments of the agriculture sector in 2023.

Featured on the production, Agriculture on the Move, Minister Prospere expressed delight in having experienced a highly productive 2023, despite the challenges.

“In June 2023, Tropical Storm Brett impacted the agricultural sector in a big way,” he said. “Saint Lucia recorded 75 percent destruction in the banana and plantain subsectors and there were a number of other areas where infrastructure got damaged as well. That created a small-scale food crisis that normalized toward the middle of November to the end of December.”

The minister again emphasized the importance of Saint Lucia’s banana industry. He highlighted a positive outlook, with an expected increase in production.

“We will continue to provide assistance so that we can increase production and ensure that we can meet the target of 15,000 boxes that we are focusing on for this year. Under the World Bank Program, we are procuring some more fertilizer, and we are hoping that before end of March, this fertilizer will be available, so that we can further meet farmers’ needs.”

The minister reminded farmers to build resilience and adapt to climate change by adopting new approaches and practicing climate-smart agriculture.

Watch the full program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxhXvmxWOqQ