FARMERS in the community of Flagaman, St Elizabeth, have been on a steady road to recovery after a massive bush fire last year that razed more than 200 acres of farmland, with approximately $45 million in crops and farming equipment destroyed.

The blaze, which occurred in August of 2019, affected 47 farmers who watched helplessly as their fields burned, with their hard work and investments destroyed in minutes.

Relief came swiftly in the weeks that followed for the affected men and women of the ‘breadbasket’ parish. Nine months after the fire the fields are flourishing again, and farmers are breathing a sigh of relief and are saying thanks.

Secretary for the Flagaman’s Farmers Group, Veron Reynolds said most farmers had recovered through assistance from the Government and various private sector entities.

The Government provided close to $50 million worth of relief items including seeds, fertiliser, water storage tanks, irrigation fixtures, hoses, and 30 truckloads of guinea grass to be used for mulching.

“They [the farmers] made good use of the assistance that they received, and with the growing of guinea grass for mulching, which is a key component in the whole farming activity, most farmers are now on their second and third crops,” Reynolds reported. He also noted that irrigation water was provided.

Reynolds, who was among the beneficiaries, said that despite his best efforts, he could not save his five-acre farm. He planted guinea grass, onion, cantaloupe, watermelon, and other crops.

He revealed that his water storage tanks, farming tools, and other equipment were also destroyed.

Reynolds estimates his loss at close to $4 million. Like other farmers from the area, he has since made a smooth recovery to maintain his livelihood.

Veteran farmer Gerald Davis was another beneficiary of State assistance.

“I had an acre of cantaloupe at that time, and everything was lost. I lost over $500,000 or more. They were green and so nice. I felt disgusted but I said to myself, ‘I will get going again’,” Davis shared.

Davis noted that the help had been “tremendous”, and the farmers are grateful.

“People came on board and helped us and, to tell you the truth, I got back a nice crop after that, and I don’t feel any way since the fire,” he said.

The Flagaman’s Farmers Group received fire-prevention training, carried out by Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), to prevent a reoccurrence of last year’s incident.

The JFB’s divisional commander for the St Elizabeth Division, Senior Deputy Superintendent Winsome Grant shared that 10 farmers had been trained, to date, in bush fire management.

“Some farmers continue to stick to their old cultivation practices, such as slash and burn, so education and [training] will remove apathy, ignorance, carelessness, and negligence.

“In the future, we will twin with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and will approach the Pesticides Control Authority to see how best we can merge our resources in further educating farmers,” Grant said.

Farmers in Flagaman believe that with the recovery of their farms and the training received, they are now better equipped to protect property and livelihoods.

“The training that has been done through the farming group and having this equipment will help us to attack fires more quickly,” Reynolds said.