Farmers count losses as Gov’t pledges support
Published:Saturday | November 14, 2020 | 12:11 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
The agriculture ministry has fast-tracked the provision of resources to cushion the economic stress heaped on farmers across the island following a spell of heavy rains in recent times.
More than $600 million has been earmarked to support farmers who were hit hard by the flood rains causing millions of dollars in crop and equipment damage.
Floyd Green, minister of agriculture and fisheries, and Member of Parliament for West St Thomas James Robertson toured a number of farms flooded during the heavy rains to reassure farmers that financial and physical help is imminent.
The island is expecting more showers this weekend, but Green told journalists that the work has to go on to minimise disaster.
Green described the impact of the rains on farmers across the island as devastating. He said that all crop types were affected, which was evident during the tour of western St Thomas yesterday.
“Among our livestock farmers, we are seeing tremendous loss. Rivers broke their banks in a number of places across the parish and would have wiped out fields and pastures,” he said.
The Gleaner spoke with a number of farmers who reported millions of dollars in losses.
Ralston Bennett, manager of Farm Seven at Serge Island Farms, which borders Danvers Pen in St Thomas, told journalists that heavy rains destroyed more than $100 million and counting in pasture and other lands, which will affect the production of milk.
“We are at a section of the farm that was affected by the incursion of the Johnson River, which broke its bank. In total, it is close to around 30 acres of improved land that we lost,” Bennett said.