PHOTO BY HERBERT MCKENIS
Shirley Gayle, a farmer and resident of Tryall, St. Elizabeth, points to his burnt tomato crop following a bush fire on Friday, February 18.
Rayon Dyer and Trudy Simpson, Gleaner Reporters
Farmers' losses from bush fires in southern St. Elizabeth and other parishes are mounting.
The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) said yesterday that it plans to revise damage estimates of , from an initial $20.2 million, because of several new fires that have affected farmers.
Albert Shand, executive director at RADA, told Farmers Weekly that the agency is to receive a report from field operatives next week, which will contain new estimates on damage caused by the bush fires and the current drought. Up to March 18, 212 farmers, most of them in southern St. Elizabeth, had reported losing crops and other items in various bush fires.
Meanwhile, farmers should begin receiving assistance from a $3 million government allocation next week, Mr. Shand said. The $3 million is part of a $12 million Cabinet allocation to tackle bush fires and drought. Of the remaining amount, $9 million is slated to assist with the trucking of water in the worst-affected parishes. Approximately $100,000 is to be used for a public education campaign.
supplies forthcoming
"The $3 million will give minimum assistance to 250 farmers," Mr. Shand said. He added that officials were now working out distribution details and will provide farmers with seeds, fertilisers and other essentials.
This is good news for farmers such as Andene Stephenson of Top Hill district who, along with relatives and neighbours, lost approximately 200 broiler chickens to bush fires.
"We were just about to seek a market for this set of birds but that never happen as we lost everything in the fire. Nonetheless, we are trying to rebuild from scratch," Ms. Stephenson said.
Howard Hinds, parish manager for St. Elizabeth's RADA branch, added that water is being trucked to several communities and that farmers who have been severely affected by drought and bush fires are also being assisted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Jamaica Agricultural Society and the Jamaica Bauxite Institute.
