Regional Agri-Insurance Programme Set to Launch in St. Kitts And Nevis; Strengthening Agricultural Resilience and Food-System Security

Basseterre, Saint Kitts, October 1, 2025 (MOA): Farmers and fishers across St. Kitts and Nevis are poised to benefit from a groundbreaking regional insurance solution aimed at reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, market volatility, and the growing impacts of climate change. The Regional Economical Agri-Insurance Programme (REAP)—developed by Lynch Caribbean Brokers Ltd. of St. Vincent and the Grenadines—will soon be launched locally in partnership with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources.

The initiative was announced during the 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA 2025), held in St. Kitts from September 29 to October 3.

REAP is a flexible multi-peril parametric insurance solution tailored specifically for the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Unlike traditional insurance models, which rely on individual loss assessments, REAP uses advanced index-based data and satellite monitoring to trigger payouts when pre-defined thresholds are met or surpassed. Coverage spans crops, livestock, and fisheries, providing a comprehensive safety net for producers across the nation.

Under the programme, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis will pay the premium on behalf of registered farmers and fishers. Constant remote monitoring of insured locations ensures rapid response: once a payout index is triggered, beneficiaries are notified within two to three weeks, and payments are calculated and distributed directly per policy.

The REAP model is already gaining traction across the Caribbean. St. Kitts and Nevis is among nine member nations who have signed onto the programme. The Government of St. Lucia officially signed on to the initiative and launched REAP in July 2025.

Lynch Caribbean Brokers Managing Director, Mr. Damian Bowen explained that the programme’s design was shaped by extensive national consultation, adding that “REAP’s development was the result of careful collaboration with key stakeholders during the first quarter of 2025. Together with experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and members of the farming and fishing communities, we created a model tailored to real needs rather than abstract assumptions.”

In a pre-rollout statement, Lynch Caribbean Brokers Ltd noted, “REAP is not a product on a shelf—it is an agri-insurance value chain in motion, designed in collaboration with experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and the farming and fishing communities. It integrates technology, local knowledge, and regional cooperation to create a transparent, practical, and sustainable solution for agricultural resilience.”

Beyond financial coverage, REAP is expected to introduce livelihood protection, a national enrolment campaign, public education seminars, and digital dashboards that improve transparency and data-driven decision-making across the sector.

In welcoming the initiative, Honourable Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, hailed REAP as a vital pillar for national resilience and regional innovation. The Minister emphasized that as the federation continues to adapt to the realities of climate change, it must equip its primary producers with the tools to thrive amid uncertainty.

He said, “Agriculture and fisheries remain at the heart of our nation’s food security, livelihoods, and economic resilience. Yet, farmers and fishers are increasingly vulnerable to risks beyond their control—climate change, unpredictable weather patterns, natural disasters, pests, and market volatility”.

Minister Duggins concluded by reaffirming his Ministry’s unwavering commitment to strengthening resilience across the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

“It is in this context that the Ministry strongly supports the establishment and expansion of insurance mechanisms tailored specifically for our farmers and fishers. These tools are not luxuries—they are necessities that provide a safety net, ensuring that the men and women who dedicate their lives to feeding our people can recover quickly after shocks and continue their work without being pushed into financial hardship”, he expressed.

The forthcoming launch of REAP in St. Kitts and Nevis reaffirms the Government’s commitment to climate-smart agriculture, risk-management innovation, and regional collaboration, paving the way for a stronger, more resilient agricultural sector.