Agricultural processing companies that operate large farms in the country have reported significant damage to their crops, with at least one, Jamaica Producers, saying most of its banana trees have died and warning of shortages in the coming months.
Jamaica Producers Group CEO Geoffrey Hall said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Thursday that more than 90 percent of the company’s St. Mary Farm’s banana crop had been destroyed.
“This is a disaster for the entire industry,” said Hall, whose company, Jamaica Producers, is the English-speaking Caribbean’s largest banana exporter and operates plantations in Jamaica.
Hall said more than 300 acres of bananas were damaged by rain and wind in St. Mary’s after the outer storm of Hurricane Beryl slammed into the island on Wednesday. Damage estimates have yet to be tallied, but he said consumers will likely experience banana shortages for the next six to eight months after the farm’s entire banana crop in St. Mary, Jamaica was wiped out.
But Hall assured that JP Farms is focused on a quick recovery and will reinvest and rebuild to meet consumer demand.
“I’m honored that our team members returned to work today (Thursday) and have already begun rebuilding the farm. We have a great team and dedicated leadership,” Hall told Business Week.
Another large processor with large farmland holdings, Trade Winds Citrus, which produces the True Juice brand of juice, said it suffered an estimated $20 million in losses at its farm in Bogwauk, St. Catherine, as a result of Hurricane Beryl.
Company director Peter McConnell said an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 pineapple trees were washed away and another 300,000 were inundated when a nearby river overflowed its banks. Only 25 acres of the pineapple field were affected, although the company grows hundreds of acres of other crops, mainly oranges.
“We are working aggressively to remove debris and spray infested plants with fungicides to prevent disease,” McConnell told Business Week.
But the company’s factory on the farm was spared the hurricane, he said. Still, workers there aren’t expected to return to work until Monday, and deliveries are expected to resume today, but only in areas where roads were closed. The company is also now focusing on helping the surrounding area with debris removal.
