Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green said 70,000 farms and 3,000 boats have been destroyed as Hurricane Melissa decimated both industries.

Green, who was speaking at the launch of the United Way Restoration and Rehabilitation Fund, praised the organisers for the initiative specifically aimed at assisting the agricultural sector once again.

“I think we all recognise the level of devastation that our agricultural sector has faced from Hurricane Beryl. It will take significant partnerships to build it up. You know, [in 2024] we were talking about Hurricane Beryl, and at that time we were looking at almost 40,000 farmers that had suffered across all parishes,” said Green.

“This time we’re looking at devastation across about five parishes, which have seen 70,000 farms that have suffered extreme impact,” he noted.

“And if any of you have been to any of the parishes impacted, you recognise that there is no comparison to the level of destruction that Beryl did in relation to now,” Green reiterated.

The minister, who was on his way to Parliament, praised St Andrew Custos Ian Forbes, a board member of the United Way and their platform for the partnership.

“We all eat, and no matter what our situation in life is, food is critical for sustenance, which means that most importantly in our society are those who provide food,” he explained.

Green continued: “Yes, we love our athletes, and that’s why Oblique Seville is here, because as he said, in order to perform at his highest, it is grounded in that good Jamaican food, and it is something that we are celebrating. But you can’t celebrate food without ensuring that the farmers and the fishers can do what they love”.

“So, I’m very happy that the United Way is very early out of the block, as they usually are. They were a wonderful partner in Hurricane Beryl, and I want to let everybody know that based on the structure that we have, it ensures that we do not duplicate the goods. Whatever is done through the United Way complements the effort of the government,” Green pointed out.

“But again, as you already know, some of the things like banana, planting that we love, unfortunately, we’ve had our number 100% wiped off. Things like our yams, which we are number one in the world in relation to yellow yams, almost 70% of that crop has been [decimated]. So, it will take a herculean effort, and that’s why we need all hands on deck,” pleaded Green.

The minister then noted that the best way to do that is to get them back home producing. “So, I want to encourage everybody to contribute to the United Way Fund. Let us see what we can work together; let us focus our energy, but also on our fisheries.

“I can tell you that of all the weather events that we’ve been through, the damage that this one has done to our fishing sector is tremendous. We’ve already assessed at least 3,000 boats that have been completely destroyed,” he revealed. “That is almost half of our fishing fleet. As you know, most of those fisheries are small and seasonal fisheries. The heart and soul of Jamaica is agriculture and fisheries. So let us work together to get it done as quickly as possible.”

Following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, on Tuesday, October 28, the government have confirmed that 45 persons have died, equalling the death toll from Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. In addition, 15 people have been reported missing from the storm.