KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Audley Shaw is informing that adverse weather conditions have led to some $1 billion in losses in the sector over the past two years.

Shaw, who was speaking at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in Clarendon over the weekend, says it is necessary to pursue ways to mitigate the unpredictable cycle of climate change “that is beginning to have a sustained depreciating impact on agricultural production”.

“Over the past five years, the agriculture sector in the Caribbean has been affected by shifts in weather patterns. We have experienced significant episodes of prolonged droughts, frequent intense rainfall, flooding and hurricanes. Climate-related natural disasters, especially hurricanes and drought, could result in losses estimated at US$22 billion annually by 2050 throughout the Caribbean,” Shaw noted.

The minister then outlined urgent and critical strategic imperatives to achieve increased and sustainable production in the local agricultural sector.

These initiatives Shaw listed as the provision of more irrigation systems; implementing more drought-resistant measures such as water harvesting and storage; application of new technologies to include drones and alternative energy sources; coordinated value chain-driven partnerships and linkages between agriculture and industry; Increasing our efforts to establish agricultural insurance schemes.