KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica government says the damage to the agricultural sector following the passage of Hurricane Beryl earlier this month, is now estimated at J$4.73 billion (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents), up from the earlier preliminary estimate of one billion dollars.
(File Photo)Agriculture Minister Floyd Green told Parliament on Tuesday that the hurricane’s wrath “spared little in our agricultural sector.”
He said an estimated 23,040 hectares of farmland had been affected, impacting over 48,852 farmers and that the sector also suffered the loss of approximately 323,412 animals, including small ruminants, poultry and cattle.
Green told legislators that approximately 11,200 fishers have been affected, most of whom have lost fishing gear in the form of traps and nets estimated at one billion dollars.
He said numerous fishing beaches in the most affected parishes have suffered infrastructural damage estimated at J$64 million and that the total estimated cost for the recovery of public gardens and scenic avenues stands at $31.13 million.
But Green said the government has swiftly mobilised resources and formulated an immediate response plan, announcing a J$700 million allocation to provide various forms of short-term assistance to be used to purchase critical items that are urgently needed.
Green said an additional J$150 million will be distributed through Members of Parliament and is to be prorated based on the level of damage in the constituency. Those allocations will have to be utilised over the next four weeks and will go through a verification process to ensure that they have in fact suffered damage through Hurricane Beryl.
Green said the ministry had started procurement early in light of the threat of bad weather and has already purchased J$65 million in seeds across various vegetable lines. He said distribution of those inputs will start on Thursday.
Hurricane Beryl, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season, swept through the Caribbean in the first week of this month, leaving behilnd a trail of death and destruction in Jamaica, as well as the Grenadine islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinque, Union Island, Canouan and Mayrea.
