The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries announced that it is providing $50 million to support banana and plantain farmers who were affected by the recent passage of Tropical Storm Grace.
Speaking during a virtual press conference on Wednesday, August 25, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Floyd Green, said the $50 million will be distributed through the Banana Board. The Minister says the initiative will aim to assist farmers in getting back on their feet. He noted that though this may not be the full total required; currently the country is going in the region of $300 million in terms of the loss to the sector. However, he says the Ministry is aware that the need is urgent.
Minister Green states that preliminary reports show that banana and plantain farmers were the farmers hardest hit by the tropical storm. He, however, notes that other categories of farmers impacted by the recent storm will be supported.
“When you look at the percentage loss in relation to vegetables and condiments, most of it is below 10%. When we look at our banana and plantain sector, the loss to the sector is coming out at about 29%” he said.
The Minister empasised the importance of having the sector active and running as quickly as possible and notes that the sector was on a growth trajectory. Green says the production numbers for bananas have increased, and the production numbers for plantains have increased by 25%, and importantly, the export numbers for banana have gone up significantly.
