CARICOM’s Ministerial Taskforce on Agriculture is set to convene this week to devise a comprehensive action plan aimed at revitalizing the Caribbean’s agricultural sector in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl’s devastating impact across multiple countries.
During a live broadcast on Sunday, CARICOM’s chair and Guyana’s President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, underscored the profound economic and infrastructural damage inflicted region-wide by Hurricane Beryl.
“The immediate priority is to bolster our food supply. I have tasked the ministerial taskforce to meet urgently next week, engaging with IICA and the Brazilian government, to strategize on rebuilding efforts. We will focus on introducing quick-yielding crop varieties resilient to future extreme weather,” Ali stated.
This proactive approach aims to address urgent food and nutritional needs while supporting farmers in restoring their livelihoods.
Ali emphasized the collaborative effort among affected leaders, including Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley, to mobilize technical, human, and financial resources for a comprehensive impact assessment.
Expressing concern over the setback to CARICOM’s ’25 by 2025′ food security goal, President Ali described initial evaluations as heart-wrenching for affected nations’ populations, governments, and agricultural sectors.

Several countries, including Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Jamaica, and Barbados, had been progressing towards the regional food security target before Hurricane Beryl struck.
The impact on Barbados, particularly its tourism sector, has been severe, with significant damage to beaches—a critical revenue source for the island.
Furthermore, the fisheries sector across the region requires substantial investment in infrastructure and equipment to support recovery efforts for fisherfolk.
Ali lamented the dire situation in Grenada, where Carriacou and Petite Martinique suffered complete devastation of crops, livestock, and infrastructure. Similarly, over 80% of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ agriculture sector has been affected, while rural communities in Jamaica are also grappling with extensive losses.
To aid recovery, Ali announced plans to engage organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for additional support.
Last Tuesday, Guyana initiated relief efforts by sending the first shipment of aid to hurricane-affected countries. The supplies included tarpaulins, chainsaws, generators, batteries, hygiene items, and water purification tablets. The Rotary Club of Georgetown further bolstered relief efforts with over $1 million in supplies received by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Friday.