Banana and plantain farmers receive training

About 100 banana and plantain farmers in St Elizabeth have received fertiliser to boost their recovery from Hurricane Melissa, following a hands-on training session to build agricultural resilience in the parish.

The event was held at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Parish Office in Santa Cruz. Extension Services Head at the Banana Board, Oral Lewis, explained that the approach taken in St Elizabeth was deliberate, as it combined resource distribution with technical guidance to ensure farmers are better prepared for future shocks in the sector. The training focused heavily on hurricane preparedness, encouraging farmers to adopt strategies, such as proper crop establishment timing to reduce vulnerability during peak storm months, and exploring insurance options, like the Banana Industry Catastrophe Fund, and weather-based protection systems. Lewis said the farmers were also guided on how to improve crop nutrition and strengthen field management practices to enhance resilience.