Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar is calling on farmers here to triple their agricultural production, in order to facilitate the demand for root crops in the region.

The impact of several hurricanes in the Caribbean region during this 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season has severely affected the agricultural sectors in several countries, particularly in the Leeward Islands.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Minister Caesar explained that due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria which destroyed about 90 percent of the Agriculture sector in Dominica when it hit the island on September 18, farmers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are now being called upon to ramp up their production.

Minister Caesar explained that St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica had negotiated a large scale exportation plan for root crops to be sent to the United States of America (USA), with Dominica having 60 percent of the shares and St. Vincent and the Grenadines 40 percent.

However, he said that in light of the devastation to Dominica’s Agriculture sector, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is now being called upon to provide 80 percent of root crops to the USA with Dominica hoping to fill the other 20 percent.

Minister Caesar noted that there will have to be an increase in the quantities of commodities such as dasheen, ginger, eddoes and yams.

He said his Ministry will be increasing the quantities of planting materials available for farmers, and the factors of production will have to be addressed in a different way taking in to consideration the new load.

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