Banana farmers benefit as the Post Hurricane Dean Banana Rehabilitation Program records a three month success
ST. LUCIA – The Post-Hurricane Dean Banana Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is into its third month and is progressing smoothly. To date over 12,000 bags of fertilizer and approximately 10,000 litres of herbicide have been distributed to about 1200 growers. A further 15,000 bags of fertilizer should be distributed towards the end of this week.
Financial support to the tune of $1.6 million is presently being paid out to 1383 farmers under a program of assistance for chopping, supplying and replanting banana fields affected by the storm.
The Ministry wishes to reiterate that the calculation for the financial assistance being provided was based on the farm acreage affected by the storm and on grower’s production volume in the year 2006. This approach reflects the Ministry’s intention to provide a relatively higher level of support to the more productive and efficient producers.
The entire cost of leaf spot control, until February 2008, is being borne by the project at a cost of nearly $4 million dollars.
The banana industry over the years has seen many initiatives that have sought to restore production after some kind of disaster. Included would have been the European Union funded Production Recovery Programme (PRP) and other programs that followed storms such as Lillie and Debbie.
When compared to those programs, this current initiative is anticipated to have a greater impact on the stream of production that follows because it goes directly to farms in the form of a huge injection of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides and financial support for labor intensive activities.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries wishes to reemphasize its commitment to the agricultural sector and the banana industry in particular and look forward to the support of all in repositioning the sector in this very competitive global environment.
