Hurricane Beryl leaves agriculture and fishing sectors vulnerable

Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar, speaking on additional estimates for recovery efforts following Hurricane Beryl, said the agriculture and fisheries sectors are becoming increasingly exposed to the intensifying effects of the vagaries of climate change, increasing the risk of food insecurity in the country.

Over the last four (4) years, the food production sector has experienced the following impacts:

1. Rebuilding from COVID-19 Supply Chain Disruption

2. Recovering from Freak Storm 2020

3. Recovery of La Soufriere volcanic eruptions 2021

4. Rebuilding after Tropical Storm Fiona

5. Recovery from Tropical Storm Bret 2023

6. Recovery from drought in 2020 and 2024

7. Beryllium Recovery 2024

Caesar said that the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl on the coast and southern islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island) had a negative impact on farms and fisheries, which suffered damage and significant losses.

“Farmers and fishermen in the Grenadines are facing significant damage/loss to crops, properties, livestock, fishing boats, equipment and tools, and livelihoods. Pressure on agricultural imports will be intensified, with consequences for food availability and rising food prices. Exports will be impacted as product losses and fish strandings become evident.”

Caesar said the government remains committed to ensuring continued delivery of aid as needed following Hurricane Beryl.

“The government has strengthened protective measures to mitigate the impact of Hurricane Beryl on the food security and livelihoods of those most affected. The resources provided will trigger further action to ensure that our food supply chains are kept alive, both nationally and regionally. The Ministry remains committed to mitigating temporary shortages and building back better to strengthen the resilience of our food chains.”

In the supplementary estimates for 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Change, Industry and Labor received the following amount: USD 21,500,000.

• Current Expenses: $14,000,000
• Capital expenditure: USD 7,500,000

The amount of $14,000,000 will be distributed accordingly.

“$12,000,000 will be used to provide income support to 10,000 farmers and 3,000 fishermen affected by Hurricane Beryl. This income support for farmers is part of a social benefits program for farmers and fishermen affected by Hurricane Beryl. The remaining $2,000,000 of the $14,000,000 will be used to provide social assistance – in kind. Providing food to shelters and people at risk increases the capacity of cooperatives and producer groups.”

The Department will receive an additional $7,500,000 funded from the Reserve Fund. This reserve represents 9 percent of the total Supplementary Estimates capital expenditures of $81,341,000.

Total capital expenditures for 2024 are $22,029,487 ($14,529,487 + $7,500,000). Resources will be distributed as follows, which will also support existing capital projects to increase local supply streams of produce in the agriculture and fisheries sectors:

1. Direct support for production for fishermen

$2,000,000 in supplemental appropriations will be used to purchase fishing equipment, including boats, motors and other equipment.

The amount of USD 2,000,000 allocated to fishermen in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will help to accelerate the recovery process, especially in the Grenadines, to resume fishing and food production in these uncertain times.

Provisions for increasing fish catches through a fleet expansion program are included in the revenue and expenditure estimates for 2024. The fund contributes to enabling fishermen to repair/replace boats and fishing equipment and gear in order to resume production at the level of production in the fish, sea moss, lobster and conch industries.

Direct Production Support Program II

An amount of $5,500,000 will be allocated to directly support the production of farmers and fishermen affected by Hurricane Beryl.

The funds will go towards tractor services, labour support, means of production, equipment and tool repairs, beekeeping and tree pruning.

Caesar stated that after the very hard and diligent work of the technicians in the Ministry, the work of the Director of the Budget and other people and technicians in the Ministry of Finance under the leadership of the Cabinet, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, rural transformation, industry and labor will benefit greatly from the implementation of these additional estimates.