John Myers Jr./Haile Clacken, Gleaner Writers
Eric Whyte, labourer, shows a heap of spoilt pineapple melons on Sheryl Moxam's two-acre farm in St. Elizabeth, which was drenched by Hurricane Emily's rains last Saturday. - Haile Clacken Photo
PRELIMINARY REPORTS of damage to the agricultural sector by Hurricane Emily in the two worst-affected parishes St. Elizabeth and Manchester have been estimated at approximately $40 million.
Neville Morgan, deputy parish manager of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) office in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, said a preliminary assessment of the destruction in the 'Breadbasket Parish' has been estimated at approximately $7 million.
He, however, emphasised that "we are still doing assessments in the field so our analysis should be understood as preliminary." Mr. Morgan added that "we hope to mop up our quantitative assessment in the next two
days, but perishables like tomatoes and watermelons were badly damaged."
Some 534 hectares of agriculture produce were destroyed in St. Elizabeth.
George Morgan, parish manager of the RADA office in Manchester, told Farmers Weekly that a preliminary assessment of the damage to agriculture from Hurricane Emily in the parish had been estimated at approximately $33 million. He said assessments were continuing, but crops such as tomato, scallion, thyme, sweet pepper, sweet potato and watermelon were badly affected, mainly in the southern sections of the parish.
Demone Samuels-Blake, who has been planting mainly vegetables and fruits for 30 years in St. Elizabeth, said he lost eight plots of vegetables and garden vine fruits valued at over $500,000 to Hurricane Emily.
Christopher Quarry, a 24-year-old farmer who plants fruits and vegetables near a gully in the Pedro Cross area, said he lost about five squares of cantaloupe, honeydew melons and lettuce when the gully overflowed. "When the water runs on the ground it usually helps out a big situation ... but with the storm, it too much now," explained Quarry.
The St. Elizabeth deputy parish manager predicted that "there will be some slight shortage in four to six weeks but the parish (of St. Elizabeth) should rebound." He noted that "the sort of farmers I know of St. Elizabeth are very resilient, some are remulching their gardens right now, but if there is need I think the Government will give the necessary assistance."
However, Mr. Samuels-Blake believes that if a processing plant is built in the parish, then some of the spoilage that occurs in the event of a glut or storm would be avoided.
"We need some factories, man; that
would give us some stability and take the pressure off us because the market would be guaranteed," he said.
