Papaya industry will face major crisis
From the border Marion travelled to another centre of economic activity, this time in the agricultural sector. And while the Free Zone merchants will soon be back in business, their cousins in the papaya fields will wait far longer.
The papaya processing facility, belonging to Belize Fruit Packers, just outside Corozal Town, may have taken a hit, but that damage was nothing compared to the punch landed by Dean on the industry as a whole.
Santiago Victorin, General Manager, Belize Fruit Packers
“Belize Fruit Packers we didn’t have no major damages, except some roofs that were ripped off like from the accounting section. Those are the main damages that we suffered.”
Marion Ali
“In terms of the company itself, the employees, the nature of your work, packaging, how has that been affected by this Hurricane Dean?”
Santiago Victorin
“Well I guess we’ll be out of, roughly I’m guessing four to five months out of production. Definitely we work hand in hand with Fruta Bomba, because that’s the other company partner noh. I cannot speak on behalf of them, but I know they suffer a lot of damages.”
Because the damages to papaya fields were so extensive, employees of the company will move over the the Fruta Bomba company to assist with the planting and cultivation of new fruit trees.
Santiago Victorin
“We’ll be helping out Fruta Bomba to recover as soon as possible so that we can come back again and continue with the work.”
Marion Ali
“So the staff will be employed by Fruta Bomba and will be paid by them?”
Santiago Victorin
“Yes, I guess so.”
Marion Ali
“This is how many people?”
Santiago Victorin
“The staff is only like twenty of us.”
Marion Ali
“I’m standing in a papaya field in Calcutta Village, Corozal. The destruction to this field was almost one hundred percent, leaving only these trees behind me standing. The losses are said to be in the millions of dollars to the industry and it will take several more months before new trees begin to blossom.
The company’s papaya’s are harvested on twelve hundred acres of land, mostly in the Corozal District. Fruta Bomba is by far the largest grower in the country. Marion Ali for News Five.”
Assessment of damage to the sugar industry is not yet complete, while sources in Blue Creek report that while there was some toppling of trees in the Mennonite Community, the vital rice industry was not affected by the hurricane.
