All the banana trees have fallen on this farm in Westmoreland. (Photo: Rosalie Wood)
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mines said several of its facilities and agricultural projects were damaged by the passage of Hurricane Beryl on Wednesday.
At Bodles Research Station, one of the citrus seedling warehouses collapsed, destroying one of the two seedling facilities located there, and one of the mother plant warehouses was also damaged. The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that 100 percent of the station’s commercial crops were also damaged, and that a packing warehouse was also lost.
A report from the Banana Board said officials are now assessing that crop damage is severe in areas such as Portland and St. Mary, with damage believed to be more than 80 percent.
The Banana Board’s offices have lost power and most of the greenhouses in major producing areas have been destroyed.
The National Irrigation Commission (NIC) reported that there was no significant impact on the water production system, but the transportation system was affected by fallen trees and branches.
The ministry said it was still assessing the situation in the St. Elizabeth area, but communication problems were slowing the flow of information.
The Essex Valley Agricultural Development Project’s solar power system was damaged, affecting about 3 percent of the solar panels, and a fence and a light pole were downed, according to the statement.
The ministry said the water production system across the NIC operations will remain shut down until power is restored. A detailed assessment is currently underway and costs will be allocated as the assessment progresses, it said.
The ministry said produce processors such as Grace Foods in St. Elizabeth have closed due to extensive damage to infrastructure and are not scheduled to accept deliveries until cleanup efforts are completed.
In the fishing sector, fishing grounds have been filled with debris, there have been significant losses of fishing gear and some boats have been damaged, the ministry said.
The local agricultural development agency said it would continue to conduct on-site assessments to determine the full extent of the hurricane’s impact on agricultural activities.
Meanwhile, the Ministry is actively working with local institutions and partners to ensure a comprehensive assessment of the damage and facilitate effective recovery and assistance to affected farmers, fishers and facilities.
