A flooded section of the St Mary Banana Estate in St Mary after the passage of Gustav. Banana farms in the nearby parish of Portland were also devastated. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

PORTLAND:

Several farmers in Portland still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Dean last year, lost millions of dollars in damage yet again as a result of Tropical Storm Gustav.

Bananas and plantains suffered the most damage with 70 per cent of crops in Portland destroyed.

Although Tropical Storm Gustav ravaged the agriculture sector in Portland, the local market will not be affected anytime soon.

However, during a tour of a section of the ravaged Rio Grande Valley, where several banana and coffee farmers suffered severe losses, Agriculture Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton said the export market might not be so lucky.

"The damage done to this area of Golden Vale is severe," Tufton said.

"After viewing the actual damage I can safely say that the local market will not be affected for the next four to six weeks. However, I am very concerned about the export market, which could be severely affected," he added.

Approximately 60 acres of bananas in the Golden Vale community suffered extensive damage during the passage of the storm. And, for many of the farmers, it seems recovery will be impossible this time.

Hard hit

"I might be able to salvage 40 per cent of this present crop," said David Brown, an export banana farmer.

"I have been hard hit by the last two hurricanes, and even before it was difficult to cope with the price of fertiliser."

He continued: "The majority of this crop consists of young bananas, which required an additional four to six weeks for maturity. It is difficult to recover from this loss of 30 acres of bananas," he said.

Other farmers including Owen Parson, had seven acres of bananas and five acres of fully grown coffee plants destroyed.

Angela Anganno also lost eight acres of bananas valued at approximately $4 million.

Director of special projects at the Banana Export Company, Clifton Wilson said the annual loss suffered by farmers as a result of hurricane damage is taking a toll on their pockets.

"They have invested heavily in banana farming," he said. "It is going to be difficult for them to recover at this stage, and they will have to be given direct assistance to carry out the replanting of their crops."