Gov’t to assist St Elizabeth farmers hit by major bush fire - Green

Minister of Agriculture Floyd Green has assured farmers in south-west St Elizabeth that the Government will move swiftly to assist them following a major fire which affected agricultural lands in the Little Park/Gillard, Pedro Plains area on Friday.

Speaking during his address at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show on Saturday, Green said preliminary reports indicate that approximately 20 farmers were affected after the blaze consumed roughly 50 hectares of farmland.

The minister noted that teams from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) were immediately dispatched to the area to assess the extent of the damage and document the losses sustained by farmers.

He indicated that among the losses already identified are approximately 20 storage tanks, large quantities of grass prepared for use as mulch, and several tripods and other pieces of farming equipment.

Green emphasised that the Government remains committed to ensuring that the affected farmers receive the support needed to resume production as quickly as possible.

“I want to assure the farmers that help is on its way,” the minister said. “By now, they know that whenever situations like these arise, we stand with them. We will do everything possible to help them get back up and running as quickly as we can.”

The Ministry of Agriculture, through RADA and its other agencies, will continue its assessment of the affected areas and work closely with farmers to determine the most appropriate forms of assistance.

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