Losses heavy, but farmers ready to rebound
Floodwaters in the north and west, while still well above normal, are slowly receding in most areas. But residents are keeping a watchful eye on the sky as more rain is predicted for later in the week. In the meantime, authorities continue to tally the damage in rural areas, particularly to agriculture. Today News Five spoke to Marcelino Avila, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, who reports that while the losses are large, farmers are ready, willing and able to get back to work.
Marcelino Avila, Permanent Secretary, Min. of Agriculture
“The losses to the sector are very significant. It is totaled in the range of one hundred and twenty-three million dollars. The main areas that are affected would be the perennial crops, mainly sugar, the food crops, especially the rice and corn and beans.”
Jose Sanchez
“In terms of crops, would you say this has come at the worst time?”
Marcelino Avila
“Yes, the June to July season is the most important for planting our major crops. This is the worst time because the farmers have not harvested. In fact we don’t know the full extent of the damages yet because some crops are still under water especially in the Belize District and the Orange Walk District, therefore our total assessment are not in yet. We think that given the amount of food we have right now in store and the capacity of the farmers to produce in other parts of the country that the food security is in no way in danger. We are looking very carefully at that and we feel that our stocks are large enough to ensure that we’ll be secure in terms of our basic commodities.”
Jose Sanchez
“When do you project some kind of recovery for these industries?”
Marcelino Avila
“I think in some of these areas it will be very quick especially with respect to food crops, vegetables. As soon as the water goes down the farmers will be able to plant. In some of the bigger crops, especially the rain flood ones, we have to wait until the latter part of November or early December.”
“Our indications are that especially in the way the farmers look at it, they are ready to come back and bounce back and plant more, but we have to help them in this very difficult time. I think our government is mobilizing resources in terms of soft credit, some of the supplies that have to be made available, but most importantly in trying to develop some medium or long term projects to ensure that all these risks will not be borne by the farmers.”
One crop not included in the official estimates is marijuana. Sources in Orange Walk suggest that whatever fields the police and BDF had not already eradicated, were probably finished off by Keith. As with other crops, weed farmers in the South are expected to take up the slack.
