Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Alfred Prospere stated that farmers must take alternative steps to properly offset the effects of crop diseases and toxic chemicals affecting what they produce.
During a media briefing on Monday, the Minister expressed deep worry over the recent setbacks suffered by banana growers due to the Black Sigatoka Disease, which has significantly hampered banana production in recent months.
He emphasised that Black Sigatoka Disease, which is especially widespread during the rainy season, posed a severe threat to banana and plantain farmers. He stated that relying solely on ‘oil products’ is insufficient, and that preserving the whole ‘health of the plantation’ is critical.
“Our farmers must engage in comprehensive preparations,” the minister said, emphasising the importance of farm responsibility-proper drainage, appropriate crop trimming, and timely fertilization-in cultivating disease resistance.
He described a visit to a farmer’s plot that revealed “no signs of the Black Sigatoka Disease.” However, he highlighted that while this excellent farmer takes effective precautions, nearby farmers may overlook these fundamental principles.
“The way this disease spreads means one healthy plantation, cannot prevent nearby (affected) plantations from infecting it,” he said.
Prospere remarked, “We must change our approach to dealing with this disease. If a few drones were deployed, we could protect entire plantation areas.” This technique would bring long-term benefits, as individual farmers frequently fail to spray on time, allowing the illness to spread quickly.
The minister stated that in order to minimise expenses and increase uniformity in the sector, “we must adopt enhanced technology in treating these diseases. We need to address this on a national scale, with the government taking responsibility for disease management across plantations for a period.”
Commenting on the current status of the banana sector, the minister bemoaned, “Since last November, farmers were unable to harvest their fruits or generate income due to Black Sigatoka Disease, leading to serious financial hardships.”
He emphasised shipping delays that resulted in oil product shortages when addressing BSDs. Fortunately, the Department of Agriculture obtained 1,500 gallons of oil from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and gave it free of charge to farmers. Two weeks ago, the department acquired 76,000 gallons of oil, with 66,000 gallons sponsored by the World Bank’s Food Security Programme, all of which were made available free of charge to banana and plantain farmers.
Prospere certified that every farmer received the oil product. “We will distribute more oil based on the progress made in disease management,” he said.
The minister acknowledged farmers’ considerable losses, stating that on January 14, the Prime Minister announced relief measures for banana farmers during a Dennery South town hall meeting. He stated that Cabinet has agreed to support 405 banana growers impacted by the disease and provide “some relief to those farmers, and we are hoping that this payment will be made by mid-March or by the end of March.”
While this assistance will not totally compensate for losses, it will provide much-needed “relief” to the farmers.
Prospere, anticipating government assistance, stated, “Farmers need this assistance because they have had to implement cutbacks, acquire fertilisers, and meet labour costs to restore their plantations.”
He emphasised that local farmers have experienced severe hardships, saying, “It is unacceptable for our farmers to labour intensively only to experience major losses at harvest time.”
He noted that during peak output from April to May last year, farmers had box shortages for exporting products, prompting the government to grant EC$1 million in aid.
Prospere continued: “Farmers are crucial to food security, and we recognise the vital role of banana production in Saint Lucia’s economic development.”
Given these serious challenges, the minister emphasised the government’s responsibility to assist. The World Bank scheme has provided major assistance to banana, plantain, vegetable, and fish growers.
The Minister stated that farmers received 39,000 bags of fertiliser and 32,000 bags of lime for free.
Furthermore, 115 farm labour workers were provided, benefiting over 200 farmers on around 300 acres. Additionally, greenhouse aid and on-farm drainage were provided. The government is in the midst of procuring 30,000 additional bags of fertiliser from Venezuela to assist farmers in this sector.
Prospere added, “Our food import bill is extremely high, and we need to implement measures to reduce it as much as possible. This is why it is critical to continue providing this level of support to our farmers, helping decrease production costs and ensuring they can earn a steady income from agriculture.”
He also revealed that the St. Lucia Marketing Board (SLMB) had acquired a loan of EC$1.5 million, allowing them to buy more from farmers and pay them faster than previously. Prospere continued, “We hope that farmers will continue to take advantage of these opportunities when new markets become available. Our farmers are expected to maintain their confidence in the sector, their investments, and what they can grow.”
He ended by emphasizing on his commitment to assisting farmers to meet these problems.