KINGSTON, Jamaica—Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green is championing the resilience of Jamaican farmers and interventions by the ministry and its agencies for the rapid recovery of agricultural crops that were significantly disrupted during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking at a press briefing held at the ministry’s headquarters in Hope Gardens, Kingston, on January 20, Green announced that several short-term vegetable crops are now available in large quantities.

“Current data confirms that we actually have excess production in several crops. And it’s amazing that less than three months after Hurricane Melissa, a category-five hurricane that wiped out some of our most productive agricultural areas, we can stand here and speak about excess crops,” the minister said.

He noted that excess production is seen in several crops, including yellow squash, cucumbers, cauliflower, lettuce, pak choi, zucchini, carrots and string beans.

Even more notable, the excess is found in some parishes that were significantly devastated by the hurricane, including St Elizabeth, St Ann, Westmoreland, Manchester, Clarendon and in St Thomas.

Green pointed out, however, that in some areas, the excess production is due to a downturn in demand.

“So, we have seen, for example, slow movement in yellow squash, cauliflower, zucchini, and romaine lettuce, because these crops are primarily produced for our hotel and hospitality sector and the current uptake levels remain uneven as that sector continues its own recovery following Hurricane Melissa,” the minister reasoned.

He further noted that other operational constraints in the supply chain have also compounded that situation.

The minister pointed to the limited cold storage capacity that was further reduced by the loss of electricity to some main providers.

“Now, while people will be able to run some of their households on generators, it’s very challenging for these large purveyors to use generated backup power to drive the cold storage facilities that they have,” Green explained.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that market prices on other crops have started to stabilise following the spike in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

He informed that the reduction in prices on certain items ranges from 14 per cent to 77 per cent.

“Watermelon, [down by] 63 per cent, dropping from $880 per kilogramme to $330 per kilogramme; Scotch bonnet pepper that everybody has been complaining about, we have started to see some coming in and we’re seeing a 20 per cent reduction in the price,” Green outlined.

“[Additionally], we’re seeing a 33 per cent reduction in pumpkin… a 20 per cent reduction in sweet pepper [and] a 40 per cent reduction in carrot. So, across a number of lines, the consumers are feeling good because they are seeing what they would deem more affordable fresh produce,” the minister added.

He warned, however, that this stage of recovery needs to be managed carefully to ensure that market demand keeps pace with the supply, so that farmers remain profitable enough to reinvest.

The minister reiterated that a six-month recovery period was initially outlined for the agricultural sector, and so far, the timeline is being maintained.

He further emphasised his commitment to monitoring progress to ensure the success of all strategic interventions.

-JIS