During the government’s tour of the red zone, Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar noted that persons who were involved in shade farming lost everything as the roof of their structures collapsed.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ cocoa industry hit hard after eruption
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ (SVG) cocoa industry has been hit hard due to the devastation caused by La Soufrière eruption.
Last week, the Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar indicated this during a tour of the red zone, the most severely affected area on the island. He said that St. Vincent and the Grenadines had 800 acres of cocoa cultivated and the crop was grown mainly in the areas near the volcano. Caesar explained that several cocoa plants were imported from Trinidad and Tobago through the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Cocoa Institute.
Over the last decade, the SVG government invested heavily in this sector. Since the establishment of The St. Vincent Cocoa Company, the business has worked with farmers and the youth to encourage the development of the crop. Cocoa was grown on a wide scale in SVG until the early 20th century but was eclipsed by the booming banana sector in the 1970s. The banana industry on the island declined after the loss of tariff protection of Caribbean exports destined for the European Union (EU).
SVG govt assessing volcanic damage to farms
During his media briefing, Caesar explained that his team is assessing the impact on farms. Some farmers who were using shade farming had lost everything as the roof of the structures collapsed.
Before the eruption, Vincentians working in the agricultural sector collected tissue samples from a variety of plants. They noted that when the environment is safe again, farmers can restart and grow new crops. Despite Caesar describing the scene of the crop destruction as “disheartening", he reassured the farming community that the SVG government will “hold farmers’ hands” into recovery.