Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (left), converses with GraceKennedy (GK) General Insurance Company Limited’s Client and Partner Services Manager, Orette Duncan, during the handover ceremony for an insurance payout totalling $2.88 million to registered farmers affected by Hurricane Melissa. The payout was disbursed under the GraceKennedy Weather Protection Programme administered by GraceKennedy (GK) General Insurance Company Limited. The ceremony was held at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hope Gardens head office in St. Andrew on Wednesday (November 12).

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, is urging farmers and fishers to enrol in the GraceKennedy (GK) Weather Protection Programme amid the increasing threat of climate-related catastrophes.

Minister Green stated that weather disasters such as Hurricane Melissa are now “part of the course” in the agricultural sector due to climate change. As such, farmers and fishers should ensure they are adequately prepared for these eventualities.

“We can’t stop them, but we can prepare for them. Ten years ago, eight years ago, we wouldn’t be having a ceremony of this nature because at that time there was no facility for farmers to take the necessary steps to prepare themselves against these inevitable weather-related events. The fact that we now have a facility offered by GK Insurance is something that we should all applaud,” he emphasised.

Minister Green was speaking at the handover ceremony for over $2.8 million in insurance payouts to approximately 150 farmers across nine parishes, under the GK Weather Protect Programme, held on Wednesday, November 12, at the Ministry’s head office at Hope Gardens in St Andrew.

The Weather Protect initiative guarantees immediate payout of funds to enrolled farmers and fishers once certain extreme weather-related triggers, such as strong winds, heavy rainfall, and drought, are met.

The agriculture minister indicated that the Government is directly supporting the programme by providing $7.5 million to assist farmers through subsidising parametric insurance coverage.

He said the Government is willing to support interested farmers by covering the base rate for this policy, thereby removing barriers to entry.

Minister Green has also tasked the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and GK Insurance with implementing measures to recruit farmers and fishers to the programme in tandem with relief and recovery efforts.

“As we go out to deliver our slew of recovery assistance, let us also sign up [farmers], as they come to collect our seeds and fertilizers, for the insurance programme so that at least we know there is a layer of protection that can help them if any other weather event should befall us,” he stated.

Minister Green attested to the efficacy of the programme, noting that payouts have been made for every major weather event since 2022. For example, he said 817 farmers received payouts that year, while 387 received payouts in 2024.

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