Minister for Agriculture Hon. Ezechiel Joseph, in a statement of support for agriculture and farming constituents, said he is relieved that Saint Lucia was spared the adverse impact of Tropical Storm Dorian.

For farmers in particular, he said it allows for more time to augment hurricane preparations, and to fine-tune strategies to protect agri-based livelihoods for the remainder of the hurricane season.

Because of the increased frequency of violent storms affecting the Caribbean, Minister Joseph said farmers and fishers need to remain vigilant.

In the meantime, government is working on implementing an insurance scheme for the agriculture sector as a way to provide an additional layer of protection for agri-based livelihoods.