Flood hit farmers to get US$320,000 in FAO assistance

Flood hit areas of the local agricultural sector received a financial boost worth US$320,000 this week, compliments the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).{{more}}

Deep Ford, regional coordinator of the FAO said on Tuesday at the official handover that it was the intention of the organization he represented to rehabilitate and rebuild the resilience of the sector.

Ford explained that a team visited the country in January, shortly after the December floods to conduct an assessment.

“We understood that the agricultural sector had been affected, but our own findings had shown a significant need in the forestry department,” Ford said.

Consequently, he said that the FAO would be working with the forestry department to strengthen it as an institution.

He added that it was the intention of the FAO through the funding to not only rehabilitate, but contribute to the growth and development of the economy.

“So, as a result we have spoken to the Minister of Agriculture of the importance of targetting specific areas and farmers who can become a part of the dynamic development,” Ford said.

It was the hope of the FAO representative to secure more funding for the local agricultural sector to allow for more programs.

Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar, in expressing his gratitude for receiving the funding, said that it was expected that the money will be divided amongst the more vulnerable farmers and will go to them in the form of a grant.

However, since the infrastructure within the sector also took a beating during the recent floods, it was expected that some of the funds would be allocated to its rehabilitation, Caesar said.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves commended the FAO, saying that it has been an important strategic partner for countries like St Vincent and the Grenadines.

He explained that the FAO’s assessment team arrived in the state around the same time as the World Bank to conduct assessments.

However according to the Prime Minister the World Bank made an assessment of just over 15 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP); the actual number is in the region of 17 per cent, because the World Bank did not carry out assessments on the forests, Gonsalves explained.(DD)