Farmers warn of price increases after Melissa

Derron Grant, CEO of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, says consumers should brace for a price increase of catch crops, which are grown between successive planting of main crops.

Grant met with farmers in Mavis Bank in rural St Andrew yesterday as residents braced for the impact of the category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

"This community is traditionally known for coffee, but we still have a lot of catch crop farmers who farm cabbage, lettuce tomatoes and so on, and we are worried about them as we have been having rain for over a week and we have seen a number of the catch crops that is ready for market being destroyed because of the consistent rains. We are definitely going to see more increases of the prices in the marketplace," he said.

When THE STAR visited sections of East Rural St Andrew, except for a few fallen boulders, light rain and hanging bamboos, there were hardly any signals that Melissa was expected in just hours. A few men were observed enjoying rum specials outside a shop in Mavis Bank square. Having been familiar with the damaging effects of hurricane including massive landslides, Fabian, a resident, said he is already in preparation mode.

"We are prepared the best way we know how. We nail up some windows and thing and as a matter of fact we still nuh done prepare yet because tree still deh there to trim and those are hazards. We have non-perishable food and medication and we expect the road to block and we expect to be cut off for a little while. Mi nago say we have enough food, but we have two pounds a flour and some mackerel. Ano like we buy out any supermarket," Fabian said.

Another resident, Issiah Sterling, was concerned that some farmers had nowhere to place their animals.

"Dem ago tie dem inna bush and leave them and trees can drop down on them and kill them. Right now we fraid to walk on the road because banking can drop down on we and kill we. There are old people who live alone so we the younger one is on alert just in case dem need we," Sterling said.

Sections of Mavis Bank were without electricity which Sterling attributed to falling bamboos.

"We ago need some supplies like blanket and all that because people ago homeless after. Some people live inna shacks eno and some live on banking side. Mi can't even sleep inna mi yard because a bare zinc deh around mi, my part nuh alright at all. Right now mi just a gwan drink little rum and sweeten mi liver until the storm come," he said.