THE government is to move swiftly to get the production of vegetables back on track, following last weekend’s severe blow from Hurricane Dean, Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, said yesterday.

Clarke told a meeting of agriculture stakeholders and ministry officials at his ministry at Hope Gardens in Kingston, that it was necessary to restore vegetable production as quickly as possible to ensure that the problems which followed Hurricane Ivan do not recur.

He said that the government now had to consider allowing wider importation of vegetables, but emphasised that the importation would not be allowed to be as chaotic as post-Hurricane Ivan in 2004 when prices soared despite the removal of import duties.

“A major emphasis, therefore, will be on the restoration of our productive capacity in vegetables, particularly South St Elizabeth – the major vegetable growing area which has suffered major dislocation,” Clarke said.

He said that a significant portion of the banana cultivations in the eastern half of the island was destroyed by Hurricane Dean’s strong category four winds Sunday night. Dean, the first hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic storm season, brushed the south coast of the island packing winds of near 150 mph.

Yesterday, Clarke said that he was already holding discussions with the minister of finance seeking funds to assist the relief effort in banana-growing areas.

He also welcomed assurances from the European Union (EU) to assist with the restoration of production, although suggesting that accessing EU funding was somewhat similar to “pulling teeth”.

Clarke also said that an emergency programme would have to be implemented for the distribution of fertiliser, which is in very short supply and attracting high prices.

The meeting was called to assess the impact of Hurricane Dean on Jamaica’s agricultural sector and to devise strategies for its restoration.

Among those present were Jamaica Agricultural Society president, Norman Grant; junior agriculture ministers, Errol Ennis and Victor Cummings; and representatives of the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation and the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture.

It was chaired by Donovan Stanberry, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture.