Last year, banana farmers suffered during the passage of Tropical Storm Bret and the island lost 75% of its banana harvest.

Since then, the Minister said, the government has been working alongside other cultivators around the region to establish an insurance scheme for farmers as weather systems worsen.

“Now we are hoping that St Vincent, Dominica, Grenada and the other islands in the region can come together. So far, the only three islands that are indicating interest in a big way are Saint Lucia, Antigua and Guyana,” he disclosed.

Prospere indicates that the region faces a collective threat to its agriculture sector and should take steps to address those threats together.

“It will be a lot easier for us to do it as a region rather than an individual or a single country.”

Despite noting only minimal damage during the passage of Hurricane Beryl, the Minister says the threat of loss is too huge to ignore.

“There is some damage. I cannot tell you exactly what the percentage is now. We just came from the south. When compared, the damage seems to be a lot worse in the Dennery Valley. But the damage is nothing near what we had last year with Bret,” he said.

Farmers, although receiving government assistance to recoup their losses, still face yearly hindrances caused by climate change.