Banana Production surges in Saint Lucia due to incessant rains

Castries, Saint Lucia: Agriculture Minister – Alfred Prospere shared that the country has witnessed a sudden increase in banana production due to incessant rains. In comparison to the last year, production has increased more than expected.

Minister Prospere revealed that banana production is above the scale of market demand. The number of boxes produced is expected to be higher than last year.

“We have more production on the ground than we can market or export”, added the Agriculture Minister.

While talking about the importance of bananas, he acknowledged the fact that he was surprised to know that other Caribbean countries are exporting large numbers of bananas to other countries, which made him worried about the production scale of his country.

He also said he was aware of a situation where pig farmers were given bananas to feed their animals.  Furthermore, Prospere said that he is well aware of the important role of banana production in the development of the agricultural sector, therefore countries need to understand that it is very important to use bananas for that purpose.

“I was a little surprised when I heard that because I am saying those bananas could have been sold by the market or provided to the schools. But again, that is just what I have been hearing. I hope it is something that will not continue”, stated Minister Prospere.

According to reports, the agriculture minister said that he wanted to partner with NFTO but could not do so due to low surplus value.  Also, NFTO revealed that market demand does not match the organization’s expectations.

However, he said he was connected to a new buyer regarding the export of bananas to St. Thomas.  It is noteworthy that currently, the export will take seven to eight days.

Additionally, Saint Lucia failed to meet the market demands of the estimated sale of 15,000 boxes weekly in the previous year (2023).

This shortage was caused by Tropical Storm Bret destroying over seventy-five per cent of the island’s banana and plantain crops in June 2023, and farmers were still recovering from it. The authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture expressed their commitment to supporting the banana farmers.

In September 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) toured agriculture farms in Saint Lucia. The tour was held as a part of the Banana Production Improvement Program’s (BPIP) efforts to foster the quality and quantity of bananas produced by local farmers.

The increase in production will open employment and ensures farmer’s hope of increasing their income.