Byron McDaniel, Gleaner Writer
WALDERSTON, Manchester:
APPROXIMATELY 30 farmers of the Craig-Chudleigh community on the Manchester/Trelawny border have lost their entire sweet yam cultivation to what they have described as a mysterious disease.
The disease withers the plant leaves and stunts the growth of the tuber, wiping out production, and the farmers, who are not familiar with the disease, have blamed it on recent hurricanes.
"Is over 10 acres of sweet yam dead out in this area and we don't know how the children going to school," lamented yam farmer Owen Banton. "We don't know what cause the disease, but we believe is the hurricanes. The RADA people come here and promised to come back, but not even little fertiliser," he continued.
However, the Manchester Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) parish manager, Stanley Dodd, said, "This is no mystery disease, it is long standing and the Bodles Research Station is aware." Mr. Dodd said the disease is called Anthracnose, a fungus which thrives in damp conditions and affects sweet yams and other plants.
The RADA manager explained that if the tuber is developed before the crop is infected, it would be saved, but pointed out that if the condition occurs in the early stage, the crop would be lost as leaves play a vital role in plant's life.
