George Henry, Gleaner WriterAlmost nine months after Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc on the country's agricultural sector, many farmers like Leonard Cohen are yet to
recover from the devastating effects which crippled production.
Mr. Cohen, 70, a small farmer in Sanguinetti, Clarendon, has been involved in banana production for more than 40 years. He is calling on the government to assist farmers in resuscitating their banana plantations in the aftermath of the hurricane.
He and fellow farmers from Clarendon and St. Ann who spoke with Farmers Weekly said the government needed to do much more to assist in restoring the banana industry to its former glory, such as providing a subsidy on fertilisers and other chemicals that are used in
farming. He said while he and
a few others have been able restart production to some extent, it would have been much better if they had
received assistance.
banana sales
"The money to purchase the fertiliser and so on I can't find it. It is rough. But the little that I planted is really coming on, and within the next couple of months I will have banana to sell in good quantities. So I should be able to get back something from banana sales on the local market soon," Mr. Cohen said. He noted that he has been selling his customers banana for $40 per hand for
the green fruit. Prior to the
hurricane he said he was selling banana for $20 per hand.
The father of five children told Farmers Weekly that he loved cultivating bananas because it is a fruit which gives iron and should not be allowed to 'die out'. He said planting banana has helped him to 'put on his pot' and take him out of financial difficulties at times, but noted that it has been very difficult for him since Hurricane Ivan. Despite his losses, the veteran farmer
said he planned to continue
producing bananas.
