THE PLANNING Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) has reported that the agriculture sector was the worst affected, recording the largest decline in production for the period April to June.
The latest assessment report issued by the PIOJ this week indicates that agriculture, forestry and fishing declined by a combined 19 per cent when compared with the previous
period.
The PIOJ attributed the decline to the "residual impact of Hurricane Ivan as well as drought conditions on domestic and export crop production." A breakdown of the various sub-sectors within the agriculture sector showed that domestic crop production in the period measured declined by 15.3 per cent.
Export crop production also declined by 31.8 per cent. The agency, however, said livestock production increased by 3.5
per cent.
The country's agriculture sector has taken a heavy battering from the adverse effects of rains associated with Hurricane Ivan last September and Hurricanes Dennis and Emily in July this year. The sector also suffered greatly from a long period of drought, which triggered a series of bush fires that destroyed acres of farm land mainly in St. Elizabeth in the months
following Hurricane Ivan.
The damage from Hurricane Ivan alone was estimated at more than $300 million. The damage from Hurricanes Dennis and Emily was estimated at near that given for Ivan, according to assessments carried by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).
