Beryl's damage to agriculture sector rises to almost $5 billion

By Clinton McGregor    

 

The damage to the island's agriculture sector following Hurricane Beryl has ballooned to nearly $5 billion.

 

This was disclosed by Agriculture Minister Floyd Green in a statement to the House of Representatives, on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Minister Green disclosed that the farming sector was extensively damaged by the hurricane, with nearly 50,000 farmers affected and thousands of hectares of farmland impacted.

 

"Approximately 23,040 hectares of farmland has been affected. It has impacted over 48,000 farmers. In fact, at our last count, 48,852 farmers have been impacted. We have lost 323,412 animals to include small ruminants, poultry and cattle. Madam Speaker, the assessment up to today's date puts the financial loss to our agricultural sector at $4.73 billion," he announced. 

 

Minister Green further disclosed that hundreds of millions of dollars in vegetables and other crops were lost in the hurricane which devastated St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and Manchester.

 

"The hurricane's wrath speared little in its path. Domestic crops saw us losing approximately 18,700 hectares of our vegetable line, with damages estimated at about $1.95 billion affecting 40,000 farmers. Crops that were most significantly impacted include sweet pepper, tomato, lettuce, cabbage, carrot and vine crops like melon, cantaloupe suffered a significant blow."

 

"Banana and plantain crops, covering 1,780 hectares, have also been lost - estimated at about J$385 million and impacting 1,645 farmers. Fruit trees, Madam Speaker, suffered a heavy blow - 890 hectares of fruit trees have suffered damage. Most of them were completely lost, estimated at $337 million," the minister disclosed.