‘This was my bread and butter’

WESTERN BUREAU:

Courtney Walcott’s four-acre farm in Zion, Trelawny, was once fruitful and promising. However, he lost everything during Wednesday’s passing of Hurricane Beryl.

Walcott explained that his papaya, plantain, and banana plants were all damaged in the rainy and windy conditions associated with the Category 4 hurricane.

During a visit to Zion on Thursday afternoon, the farmer told The Gleaner that he is devastated after losing his “bread and butter”.

“The storm blow down the whole four acres. This was my bread and butter; mi nuh work for anybody. Mi did a try a thing by myself,” Walcott bemoaned.

Walcott said that he started his farm last February and has been supplying the local market with fruits. He believes that he has lost over $8 million worth of produce during the hurricane.

“It was between $8 million and $10 million worth of fruits, along with green banana and plantains. Mi couldn’t save anything. Everything blow dung.”

In the meanwhile, the flood-prone community of Zion experienced a devastating blow during Wednesday’s hurricane. Approximately four of the community’s light posts were observed lying across the main road leading past the nearby William Knibb Memorial High School and towards Holland High.

Other community members also experienced the loss of their homes and major flooding.

The farmer told The Gleaner that Wednesday’s loss will pose a major setback in his business. He, however, is hoping that the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, will render assistance to farmers who have been badly affected by the natural disaster.

“It’s like my whole life gone because mi affi go start over back, so mi woulda want some help. Mi woulda want some money fi start over again because fertiliser cya help dem again. The tree dem root out so mi affi go try get some money,” Walcott said.

“Mi have seven children. Mi have four wah go to school and this is what I use to send them,” he added.

He further complained that he had no way to adequately prepare for the impending hurricane and had to weather the storm.

While sharing that he also lives in in the community, Walcott said he is thankful that his home was spared during the inclement weather.

But the loss of his farm, he said, will gravely affect his family’s standard of living.

“This tek care of my house and all of my bills. It put food on my table too.”

Walcott added, “Mi did plant dem for the local market and it did a pay me. Mi do this all by myself. Mi nuh get no help from nobody, so this really mash me up.”

At the same time, he complained bitterly that farmers in his area have been allegedly abandoned by representatives from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

“RADA nuh come visit me. I don’t even know who the extension officer for Trelawny is or around this side,” he said.

“Mi nuh see no RADA extension officer come round here. A just me alone a try mek things work,” said Walcott.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com