$20m in crops destroyed in Trinidad and Tobago

Agricultural farms in Plum Mitan have been under waist-high flood waters have been underwater for 22 days. The water, which flooded 1,200 acres of cultivated lands in the sleepy farming community following heavy rainfall on November 10, has destroyed approximately $20 million worth of crops in various stages of growth. In light of this, the farmers are urging consumers to brace for higher food prices for the upcoming Christmas.

The flood has disrupted the lives of 175 farmers. On Thursday, president of the Plum Mitan/Biche Farmers’ Association Hakim Mowlah called for the farming district to be declared a disaster zone by the Government. He attributed the widespread deluge to iron railings being placed at the end of the Main Line River, which has been trapping debris and litter. Mowlah said failure to dredge the three-mile long river was another contributing factor to the floods.

Plum Mitan is the country’s second largest producer of rice, watermelon, plantain and cucumbers, the farmers said. Six pumps belonging to the Ministry of Food Production which were strategically placed in Blocks One to Four have been working around the clock to channel the water out. But Mowlah said it would take another two weeks for the volume of water to subside.

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