KINGSTON, Jamaica – The mining sector, a critical earner of foreign exchange, was not spared the fury of Hurricane Melissa, sustaining preliminary estimated losses of approximately $40.25 billion, Agriculture and Mining Minister Floyd Green revealed on Tuesday.

In his comprehensive statement to the Houses of Parliament on the impact of the late-October Category 5 hurricane, Minister Green reported that the mining sector suffered “severe damage,” with the brunt of the impact felt in the western region of the island.

“The impact was experienced primarily by private sector players in the sector,” Green stated, detailing that the massive financial hit came from extensive “damage to plants, equipment and finished products intended for export, which are now unsaleable.”

The minister’s disclosure means that the combined devastation across the agriculture, fisheries, and mining sectors under his portfolio now exceeds a staggering $77 billion. This total comprises the $29.5 billion in agricultural losses, a further $5.76 billion in fisheries damage, and the newly reported $40.25 billion hit to mining, underscoring the hurricane’s crippling effect on key segments of the Jamaican economy.

Despite the severe losses, Minister Green signalled a coordinated path to recovery, acknowledging “the commitment of our mining partners, who have pledged their support to help stabilise the hardest-hit areas.”

He assured that these private sector efforts would be “integrated into the Ministry’s recovery programme to complement Government resources,” as the nation begins the arduous task of rebuilding its economic infrastructure in the hurricane’s aftermath.