Uruguay to aid St Vincent’s agricultural recovery through seed donation

The Uruguay Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Fernando Mattos, has promised critical support to St Vincent and the Grenadines after its agricultural sector was severely destroyed by Hurricane Beryl back in July.

This sort of aid will include the donation of seeds by Uruguay, along with technical cooperation to put the Caribbean nation on its feet following the destructive occurrence of the hurricane.

Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 storm with winds of up to 260 kilometres an hour, impacted countries across St Vincent and the Grenadines, particularly in the Union Islands, Mayreau, and Canouan, where an estimated 1,000 homes and critical infrastructure went down, together with crops and livestock in the country, leaving the agricultural sector in the country in shambles.

The videoconference was with the Minister responsible for Agriculture, Saboto Caesar of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Minister Mattos made remarks underscoring Uruguay’s determination to help the Caribbean country in recovery.

Joining the virtual meeting were influential personalities from the IICA, including its General Director, Manuel Otero. Mattos showed deep concern for the recurring extreme weather events that the Caribbean has been suffering, underlining the relevance of the donation.

“The donation of seeds can be useful, and Uruguay is open to receiving requests both from St Vincent and the Grenadines and from the other Caribbean countries affected, besides offering technical cooperations, for example, concerning livestock and genetic material,” he said.

Key crops to be donated include chard, broccoli, pumpkin, onion, cauliflower, lettuce, corn, melon, pepper, tomato, and cucumber-all very important in the strengthening of the area’s food security.

Saboto Caesar showed profound gratitude on behalf of the Government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines for this gesture from the country of Uruguay. He further outlined that this contribution would go a long way in helping the country to revive its agriculture sector and pledged his continued commitment to the partnership between the country and IICA toward even closer cooperation.

“We feel proud and thankful to be part of IICA,” Caesar said, stressing that international solidarity goes a long way during hard times.

Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero agreed that the other Latin American nations were likely to do the same, seconding the motion and showing unconditional support for the Caribbean. According to the director, it is part of IICA’s intervention: to build bridges and offer the much-needed support to vulnerable regions.

“IICA does not doubt at any moment in terms of promoting this type of donation to support farmers and the entire population,” Otero said in a note, highlighting the resilience and sustainability of the institution in the face of such difficult situation.

It is the second major blow to the agricultural sector within a few years, as the volcanic eruption in 2021 near La Soufriere volcano wiped out most of the crops and affected the entire vegetable production in the country, leaving thousands of farmers to abandon their places.