-President Ali says, announces plans to engage FAO, IICA, other agriculture partners
-Minister Zulfikar to convene strategic meeting with regional leaders to explore ‘rebuilding’ ideas

THE Caribbean’s agriculture sector has been severely devastated by Hurricane Beryl, resulting in a setback of the region’s food security targets which aim to reduce the food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

According to Guyana’s President and the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Chairperson, Dr. Irfaan Ali, initial reports have indicated that the sector has suffered losses totalling tens of millions of dollars.

“The initial assessment is heart-wrenching to our farmers to our government and to the people of these countries. It is heart-wrenching because of the tremendous investment, policy commitment and budget support that was placed in the agriculture sector since 2020,” Dr. Ali who is also the lead Head of Government with responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and food security in the region’s Quasi Cabinet said on Sunday during a live broadcast.

While an initial assessment on the impact of the sector is ongoing, Dr. Ali noted that there will be a ‘comprehensive’ analysis with technical and financial stakeholders.

Last week, a category 4 Beryl made landfall on the islands of Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and several others.

Devastating damages to infrastructure were reported in the Grenadines and Grenada,
while the fishing industry in Barbados took a ‘beating’ as over 200 vessels were destroyed during the passage of the storm.

“These were all islands, that were on track mostly in achieving the 25 by 25 targets set by themselves, “President Ali said.
CARICOM had outlined several initiatives over the past years to reduce its mammoth US$6 billion food import bill.

The aim is to slash this expenditure by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

According to President Ali, there have been investments in the sectors — infrastructure, water system, technology, crop variety, farm support, farm to market infrastructure; however, many of the states would have lost these investments.

“Outside of this, you have hundreds of acres of commodities that were lost and production that was taken out instantaneously.”

IMMEDIATE RELIEF

Guyana’s Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who is the Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture, has been tasked to convene a strategic meeting in the new week.

It is expected that leaders will explore ideas on how the islands affected can begin to rebuild, make technology available and plant quick yielding varieties to support farmers.

In addition to this, leaders will seek to address price stability and critical commodities needed.

President Ali explained that while the ‘quick fix’ will be to get food immediately to the islands that have been severely affected, a major concern will be ensuring that nutritional values are met.

“I’m raising these concerns as the head because sometimes we do not get from mainstream media and from the actors, international actors, this aspect of the equation when these major hurricanes hit us,” he noted.

The Guyanese leader further disclosed that he would engage regional and international partners such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisations (FAO), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).

REGIONAL RESPONSE

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, during a press conference, disclosed that the emergency operation centre on several islands have been activated.

CDEMA, in conjunction with its regional partners, activated a coordination plan at 05:00 hrs on June 29.

There was an emergency meeting of the heads of government of CARICOM [Caribbean Community] on July 2 to discuss and make provision for how the community will be supporting its neighbours.

“We have activated within the regional coordination centre a number of thematic groups, including the relief and logistics thematic group. And this group co-chaired by CDEMA and the world food programme are in the process of establishing a relief trans-shipment hub at shed one of the Barbados port,” Riley said.

Guyana has since sent relief support to the affected islands. Several immediate aid and supplies were air-dashed to Grenada; additionally a number of ships have set sail to other island with aid.

Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has also activated a special bank account so persons can make monetary donations towards the countries that were impacted.