LINSTEAD, St. Catherine:
THERE IS a scarcity of vegetables and ground provisions in the three main markets of St. Catherine - Linstead, Spanish Town and Old Harbour.
At least two vendors, Madlyn Pryce and Urcella Curtis, speaking in the Linstead Market on Friday, said this has led to the small quantities of foodstuff and vegetables skyrocketing in price.
Due to the persistent bad weather over the past weeks, the vendors said agricultural crops, mainly from St. Elizabeth, have been washed out.
The vendors said there is very little left for them to salvage as the crops were their only means of economic survival. They said many of them have had to travel overnight to get transportation, and depended heavily on what they produce to take care of their family demands, including sending their children to school.
A number of churches have been trying to assist those families who have had their houses flooded out, as well.
Members of the Salvation Army and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church all agreed that the biggest need for the people who are flooded out of their homes is for proper shelter and clothing.
The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has been assisting residents, particularly those with children.
