The STAR Businessweek

By Claudia Eleibox, STAR Businessweek Correspondent

There’s no way to cypher which island will take the hit each time but the Caribbean archipelago is the most likely region to be affected by the Atlantic hurricane season, and whilst there are other natural disasters that the Caribbean is prone to—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, fires etc.—hurricanes are what we know best.

There can be no limit to the measures taken to preserve human life at that time but for farmers and other agricultural workers, just like any other business owner, there’s a bit more at stake. The inevitable pitfall is that farmers rely solely on natural resources and weather conditions. How does one save Mother Nature from herself?

START BY INVESTING RIGHT

Although still unguaranteed, this is the most important preparation method that farmers can take. Most banks and credit unions in the Caribbean provide incentives for agricultural loans. Farmers should take advantage of the low interest rates and grace periods to build stable farm facilities and structures. Today, some farmers still respond to hurricanes by taking minimal measures. However, proper drainage systems from the get go and routinely building sheds and pens that can withstand hurricane winds and rainfall—though some farmers find it may be too expensive for animals and plants—are necessary investments in the long run. Farmers in the Caribbean are also constantly encouraged in the agricultural practice of record-keeping, an important procedure to manage international trade standards and to qualify farmers for governmental compensation after a natural disaster.

TRY TO INSURE

Realistically, crop insurance is fairly new but it’s a drop in the bucket. No matter the real value of property, farmers only get about 40% of their average crop sale over a specified time period. In other cases, only harvested crops are insurable, and not the other acres of investment on the field.

There are a few other options, and saving is hardly one, especially for farmers in the Caribbean who only make enough profits to maintain their farm and family. Accumulating enough money in time to help the business recover after a hurricane is almost impossible. But if a farmer is able, it’s his most secure gamble.

Getting a livelihood protection policy, or something similar, is the next best thing in the Caribbean. Some farmers in Saint Lucia are leaning more to this alternative. However, payouts from this policy depend only on specified wind speed and rainfall ranges outside of which famers don’t get compensation.

It’s important for farmers to form groups that are able to pressure governments to create disaster relief funds similar to those for tourism sectors in the Caribbean, or for members to create a pool fund for disastrous events.

SUMMARY

It’s equally difficult and unpredictable to work in the agricultural industry as it is to prepare for a hurricane and it’s obvious in the Caribbean that the latter heavily contributes to the former. The unfortunate actuality for farmers is that they are the only ones who suffer a total wipeout. Governments are able to source food elsewhere and the country moves on whilst recuperating. It’s only the farmer who has to restart his business from the ground and, by the time that happens, another hurricane season is upon him.

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