STONY HILL, Portland — When torrential showers from a cyclone lashed goat farmer Ronald Oakley’s Stony Hill neighbourhood in Portland late last week, he and his goats were caught a bit off guard.

At this time of the year he’s usually paving his goat pen in preparation for the cooler months. He never thought rain would be a threat, but it was last week. Oakley, who rears hybrid and mixed goats, lost a few of his animals.

“I was trying to set up myself to face the weather in January as I had just paved an area for them to stay. The climate change came earlier and caught me off-guard. That is the thing that has affected me,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

His concern, now, though is keeping the rest of his herd safe.

“I find that the hybrid goats are more delicate than first time, so the farmers who do cross-breed have to try to have proper housing for them. The lack of proper housing and the cramming of the goats impacted on me as I lost a few kids, the smaller ones.”

He is grateful that the rainy weather was not cold enough to do more harm.

“If it was colder, like in January, I would have lost more,” said Oakley.

He explained the agonising conditions his animals had to endure because of the heavy rain. They sought shelter in the cramped area under their pen and had to stand almost the whole time as the ground was soaked.

“The water creeps under and lets the ground get sappy and cold and their hoof gets soft. So they come out hopping as they can’t get anywhere to sleep. Some of the small kids run under their mothers for [shelter] from the weather,” he added.

Oakley, however, does not think he and other goat farmers have been hit hard enough to impact the price of mutton. Local mutton now goes for $1,500 per pound but he expects that the price will increase for the holiday season, as it usually does.

However Sheldon Smith, who grows vegetables/cash crops close by, expects prices will increase for his produce.

“I’m damaged badly, especially the string beans that was ready to be reaped this week. Luckily, I reaped some of the cabbage but the sorrel and sweet pepper are damaged. The waterlogged field rotted the roots of the plants. The rain beat off the blossom of the sweet pepper and rotted the sorrel. When you touch the sorrel they just melt in your hand. The underground crops will not be affected that badly, like yam and sweet potatoes. But this will result in shortage and price increase,” he said.

String beans now go for between $400 and $500, cabbage is $300, sorrel $400, sweet pepper $450 per pound, respectively.