The Government of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation, is continuing to support local banana growers by providing crop insurance for growers of bananas and plantains.

The Ministry of Agriculture stated that growers will be adequately insured and compensated for windstorm damage to their farms for the period 2016 - 2017.

For the past two (2) insurance years, 2014 and 2015, the Government paid an accumulated amount of EC$445,011.67 to WINCROP for crop insurance for banana farmers, and have again insured the entire crop of bananas and plantains for the 2016 - 2017 insurance year.

The Ministry also stated that, in the event of a severe storm, growers will be adequately compensated for damage caused to their farms.

SOURCE:  NBC