United Way of Jamaica looks to raise $20m to help farmers hard-hit by Beryl

The United Way of Jamaica is seeking to raise $20 million to assist farmers in the parishes hardest hit by Hurricane Beryl.

 

Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth received the brunt of the hurricane, which has dealt a near $5 billion blow to the agriculture sector.

 

Chief Executive Officer of United Way, Taneisha Stoney Drysden, says the money is to get farmers back on their feet and assist with their personal expenses.

 

"We're partnering with the Jamaica Agricultural Society to help us to identify the farmers, to identify the needs, so that we can immediately address the needs faced by the farmers. It provides an opportunity for us to come together as a people to restore the parishes that feed us, and we have to put all hands on deck to ensure that we lift them up, bring them back to the standard of where they were. So this campaign is not only targeting your economic livelihood, we are ensuring that it's comprehensive," she said. 

 

As part of the holistic assistance, she said the farmers and their families will also benefit from educational materials as the back-to-school period approaches.