Adrian Brown, Gleaner Writer
Residents wade through the flood water left in Bull Bay after the passage of Hurricane Dennis. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE AGRICULTURAL sector has been severely affected by Hurricane Dennis which did most damage at the eastern end of the island bringing heavy rains and packing sustained winds of over 75 kilometres per hour.
The banana industry suffered the greatest destruction, estimated at 40 per cent, according to the Prime Minister's report, delivered in parliament yesterday. Damage was also reported in the livestock, coffee, cocoa and coconut industries.
The aquaculture sector was impacted as heavy rains caused fish to escape from farms as ponds overflowed.
Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) called the damage 'colossal' and a 'bodyblow' to the industry. He said that the possibility of Jamaica suffering another hurricane in the next few months is even more menacing.
"When you take into account the damage sustained in hurricane Ivan followed by Dennis, the damage certainly has left the agricultural sector licking its wounds. Dennis has given us a body blow and anything else will be a knockout punch."
Despite Hurricane Dennis being of a lesser intensity than Ivan which occurred ten months earlier, there was devastation in the coffee and banana industries, as well as widespread damage sustained to major roadways as a result of the heavy rainfall the system brought with it.
The JAS president added that several farmers were prevented from visiting their fields in the aftermath of the hurricane.
He explained that the present coffee crop is due in the next few weeks and harvesting will be adversely affected due to the lack of access created by the damage to the roads. Coffee suffered considerable damage as a result of landslides and fallen trees.
Meteorologists are saying that floods of over thirty feet occurred in some places.
Some areas were and are still inundated and portions of east rural St. Andrew were totally cut-off.
"Fortunately, the bread basket areas which provide much of our domestic food supply were not adversely affected," Prime Minister Patterson reported yesterday.
There will not be a shortage of bananas on the local market, according to Jamaica Producers personnel. It is expected that a monetary assessment of the damage in this sector, which is currently underway, will be given next week.
But those in the agricultural sector are waiting for Emily, another tropical system forecast to become a category 3 hurricane over the next 72 hours. It is due to hit or at least pass by Jamaica by Saturday, according to meteorologists.
