Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, cocoa and nutmeg farmers in Grenada who registered for crop insurance are set to receive reimbursements for their losses.
The Dominica-based Corp-EFF Insurance Company Ltd. is partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (GCNA) to secure coverage totalling EC$7.9M for nutmeg and cocoa farmers in Grenada.
According to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Isaac Bhagwan, affected farmers can qualify for a “Tropical Cyclone Index Payment of US$1,453,813.00, equivalent to EC$3,881,680.00, under the Flexible Hurricane Protection policy.”
This payment, he said, will be disbursed “soon” in accordance with the policy terms.
“Once the payment is received, then of course the individual farmers, based on the level of damage, would receive a payout,” stated Bhagwan who also said that “unfortunately, in the other types of crops that the farmers produce, many of them don’t have insurance.”
He highlighted the need “to get farmers to buy into the issue of crop insurance,” noting the frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to the climate change phenomenon.
According to Bhagwan, “the Ministry has been in communication with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), exploring insurance for other crops.”
This initiative reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to provide comprehensive support for the agricultural sector.
For farmers not covered by insurance, particularly those cultivating economic crops, a livelihood support package will be provided by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Chief Extension Officer, Lauren St. Louis elaborated on this support, emphasising the government’s commitment to assisting all affected farmers.
“We know a lot of people who would’ve had watermelons, pumpkins, squash, cantaloupes and those sorts of things (and) they have lost all of it, and even the other short crops like cabbages and broccoli… they would have lost quite a bit of it, and so support would not just be for one (1) type of farmer, we are looking at packages that would assist everybody,” she said.
In addition, the Natural Disaster Fund-NDF (UK) LP has increased its risk capacity allocation from US$1M to US$3.6 million to support the hurricane protection programme in Grenada and Dominica until May 31, 2025.
This increase aims to bolster the region’s resilience to future natural disasters.
The swift response and financial support for Grenadian farmers highlight the importance of crop insurance and coordinated efforts to ensure the sustainability, and recovery of the agricultural sector in the aftermath of natural disasters.