The devastating effects of the La Soufriere Volcano to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVGs) agricultural sector has been placed under the microscope, the concern of food security for the Southern Caribbean. In this regard, the Government of Grenada through the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry , is mobilizing support for its CARICOM sister nation and continues to assist the country.
“St.Vincent will come back with a bang, we are here, prepared to help them; this is not a competition between us and St.Vincent, or us and St.Lucia or with Barbados , it is simply all of us, taking advantage of whatever comparative advantages we have to ensure that food production is increased and to ensure that all of us in the region reduce that enormous food import bill,” said Hon.Peter David, Minister for Agriculture, Lands and Forestry.
Grenada aims to fill the vacuum, ensuring that food supply and production continues, along with the stabilisation of crops . One of the mechanisms proposed by the Agriculture Minister is beefing up local production to satisfy the market that exists in the region, especially with root crops,a major export crop from SVG.
“We know St.Vincent and the Grenadines is known for its root crop production;yam, dasheen, tannia, eddoes; all of these are normally supplied to the Southern Caribbean in large amounts;while there will be a shortage we have present production in the ground that we can utilise to satisfy the market.”
Local farmers and farmer’s organisations, along with the Marketing and National Importing Board were key players identified by David , while addressing Government’s weekly Post Cabinet Briefing in St.George’s on Wednesday 21st April.
David also disclosed that Grenada’s approach incorporates SVG’s livestock population, which has been affected by a lack of forage ( feed) , in that country. He affirmed that through talks with the Government and a local farmer, accommodations made through the Vet and Livestock Department , to transport some animals to Grenada.
Grenada’s government has already committed one million dollars in support to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to deal with the impact of the explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano, which erupted April 9, for the first time in 42 years. Added to that, the island accommodated a
number of evacuees from St.Vincent, providing that they met specific guidelines requiring incoming persons to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival in Grenada, along with
appropriate travel documents.
