Farmers plead for help as ministers survey flood damage

SEAMAN’S VALLEY, Portland:

Farmers in sections of Portland Eastern whose fields were devastated by heavy rains in recent days are hoping that various state agencies will be able to help them to get back on their feet in short order.

The farmers were expressing relief after Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Pearnel Charles Jr, accompanied by Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie, headed a large team to survey the damage and listen to their pleas.

Representatives from both ministries, along with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and staff of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Portland Municipal Corporation, and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), participated in the tour.

Charles spoke briefly with several farmers in the Seaman’s Valley area, which was ravaged by two days of torrential rainfall on January 31 and February 1, and sought to assure them that a comprehensive assessment was being done by RADA to determine the extent of the damage to farm lands and losses in terms of crops and livestock.

“We have to work out now, you know, exactly what [are the] steps forward to give some support. The first step is really to get this assessment,” he said.

“We had started a preliminary assessment right after the rain, and so it was just for us come down now on the ground to see what is going on and let you know that we’re here. We are here, and we are looking to see what has happened and to see how we can mitigate against it happening again. We want to see what kind of infrastructural adjustments from medium to long term can be done,” the agriculture minister added.

The farmers expressed appreciation for the visit, hoping for a quick response to their plight.

“Mi glad fi see say dem come up yah to look pon di damage because mi nuh know how mi a go recover from dis,” said Courtney Thomas, whose eight and a half acres of banana and other crops were badly affected by the flood rains.

“Right now, it tough, and although mi start to clean up and prune up, it is a tough task. Chemical dear bad. It nuh easy. Whole heap a di banana dem wash away, fall down; produce fi reap gone. Mi cut off some a dem already, but as you can see, nuff a dem gone. Mi spray di banana dem di Saturday before the rain, so you can just imagine what mi a face now,” he added.

Others like Sherika Lindsay and Wilfred Henry, who also suffered heavy losses, are appealing for help in the form of fertilisers and chemicals.

The farmers are also calling for the authorities to see what sort of river training can be done to mitigate against future flooding.

gareth.davis@gleanerjm.com