MANY PERSONS are making the comparison between Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 and Hurricane Ivan and are coming to the conclusion that Gilbert was the bigger boss in terms of the damage wreaked.
One talk show host was heard describing the passing of Ivan as a near miss. Not those residents of Portland Cottage in Clarendon though, nor those of Mandeville, Manchester and Linstead,
St. Catherine. These three areas, two inland and one near the
coast experienced a devastation characteristic of a category five hurricane. Gilbert was only a three.
The fact is that Ivan hit us a glancing blow in much the same way that a motor car would hit a pedestrian with one of its fenders instead of with its radiator. A rather poor analogy, admittedly, as a car would hit and move on. Ivan with its eye passing miles to the south of us, just sat there and pounded us with its outer winds and, to mix the metaphor, would throw out a few sharper jabs every now and again. That is what accounts for the peculiar pattern of destruction. Loss of life in an accident, hurricane or other such disasters is always more heart-wrenching than at other times. The terror and pain of the victims and the grief and trauma of their loved ones can only be imagined. We who have been fortunate to survive without much loss must grieve with them and render whatever support we can. From what I have seen and from the reports coming from all parts of the country we have been doing that and that is good.
ASSESSMENT INCOMPLETE
The assessment of the damage to the farming sector was not completed at the time of writing but the preliminary reports speak of a massive devastation in every area. Export crops, domestic food crops, orchard crops, ornamental trees, vegetables, goats, chicken, cattle all have been decimated. In a column I wrote at the
beginning of the hurricane season last year that hurricanes were a farmer's nightmare. Well, Ivan has turned that nightmare into reality. And the worst part of it is that the season is not finished yet. Those farmers in St. Elizabeth who were struck by Hurricane Charley a few weeks ago were in the process of getting back into production when Ivan delivered the double whammy. Who could blame them now if they are a
little farm-shy?
But we already know that they are going to get right back in there, removing the debris, clearing the land, sourcing the funds for establishing the new crop. Jamaican small farmers are the most resilient set you will find anywhere. The problem is though that by now they have over-extended themselves and are probably up to their necks in debt. I've said this before but it can stand repetition. Agriculture is the riskiest of all enterprises being so susceptible to wind and rain. What makes it doubly unfortunate for the sector is the fact that this high-risk situation renders it virtually uninsurable. Except for bananas, coffee and coconuts there is very little crop insurance available to farming operations and where it exists the cost is so horrendously high that few bother to access it. It was only a couple of months ago that the Coffee Industry Board sought to dissolve the scheme it had been operating since 1990. The Banana Board's Windstorm Scheme currently provides less than 30 per cent coverage and is so costly that most growers are virtually forced to take the entire risk.
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE
It is left therefore, after each disaster from hurricane, flood or drought, to the Government to provide some assistance. This is usually slow in coming, small in amount and therefore simply inadequate to reach all affected. The extent of the devastation this time though is so great that the fund-raising effort must be so well coordinated that the returns will be sufficient for the job. Donations especially in cash and planting materials have already started, coming from local as well as overseas agencies,
organisations and individuals. The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has been busy doing the assessment of the
damage throughout the country. Its next task is to develop a
reconstruction programme to be presented to the Ministry of Agriculture and no doubt the newly created Office of National Reconstruction (ONR). It is important that all this be done with urgency so that the
implementation can begin in the next couple of weeks. We are presently close to the end of the fall planting season and must get the crops in before it doesn't any longer make sense.
Ivan has been a major
challenge. It may have provided us with the opportunity to
reorganise the farming sector to make it more efficient and more competitive. The ONR may very well be the engine to drive this reorganisation after it has dealt with the current emergency. Perhaps Prime Minister P. J. Patterson could as his last
great contribution to the
country's development before his departure as Leader, turn his attention to this sector which has so much potential but which has been largely neglected.
Hugh Martin is a
communication specialist and farm broadcaster. Email: humar@cwjamaica.com.
