News

“Encouraging” Signs of Agricultural Recovery in St Lucia

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - January 8, 2015

Above: a cacao plantation in St Lucia (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

There recovery of St Lucia’s agricultural sector since the Christmas Eve trough storm in 2013 is “encouraging,” according to St Lucia Agriculture Minister Moses Jn Baptiste.

The island has been able to rehabilitate a number of farms across the country in the last year, with help from the Food and Agriculture Organization and regional and international agencies.

“The year 2014 was a challenging but exciting ,” the Minister said. “We started 2014 with all our woes as a result of the Christmas Eve trough in 2013. At the beginning of 2014 it was estimated that Saint Lucia’s agriculture would lose about 10 percent of its output. The study that was done suggested that we would have a very challenging time in our recovery. But by mid 2014 we saw the farmers, the fishers and all those involved in the sector rebounding in a way that made us proud.”

The rehabilitations included new drainage systems and new tools for farmers.

Commercial plantain farmers also received a subsidy, and the government of Morocco helped distribute fertilizers.

“The Prime Minister also decided to allocate the portfolio of cooperatives to the Ministry of Agriculture,” Jn Baptiste said. “We were very pleased with that development and immediately embarked on a program to engage the cooperatives so that they are the engine for growth in the agricultural sector.”

Popular Posts the sexiest beaches including this resort at atlantis

The Sexiest Beaches in the Caribbean to Visit Right Now 

One is a beach with a nightclub-style pool right next door. Another is filled with beach bars — and even has its own au natural corner. Then there’s a beach that’s practically a nonstop party.  There are so many things that […]


The Best Caribbean Islands to Visit This Summer, From Antigua to St Croix

verandah antigua

We’ve been saying it for years, and we’ll keep saying it: in some ways, the Caribbean is even better in the summer months. The water is warm. It’s a bit less crowded, a little bit quieter. At night, the trade […]


A Low-Key, Lovely Adults-Only Beach Resort in Aruba

aruba beach resort adults-only

When Aruba’s Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort opened in 1987, it made sense for the hotel’s restaurant to be built in the shape of a boat shipwrecked on the sand: while Eagle Beach didn’t exactly resemble a desert island back […]


Related Posts a pool suite at the new six senses in grenada

Six Senses Just Opened Its First-Ever Caribbean Resort on the Island of Grenada

The food is fresh from local farmers. When you arrive, you’re given a choice of local spices, which then find their way into tea bags — used to prepare your evening tea each night before bed. There is even an “earth […]


Norwegian Cruise Line Is Adding Caribbean, Bahamas Cruises From a New US Homeport

norwegian cruise line bahamas

Norwegian Cruise Line is adding a new homeport next year: Jacksonville, Fla, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The company has signed a three-year agreement to homeport its Norwegian Gem cruise port in Jacksonville, beginning in November 2025.  The 2,394-guest-capacity ship will […]


The British Virgin Islands Has a New Watersports Destination

british virgin islands marina cay

You may not know that Marina Cay, the beloved eight-acre island off the coast of Beef Island in the BVI has relaunched.  Now run by Mainsail, it’s home to the Marina Cay Bar and Grill, a popular yachting and day […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You