With the shortage of some local vegetables and herbs, consumers will be paying more at the cash register.
Chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul told the SATURDAY SUN that the heavy rainfall in September and October impacted on farmers’ ability to prepare their fields, resulting in shortage of vegetables such as beans, squash, pumpkin, cabbage, lettuce, carrots and tomatoes.
“In many cases, there were a lot of farmers who had difficulties in preparing their grounds in time because the equipment used just could not get into the areas as a lot of them were water laden and it did not make any sense going into the grounds then. They had to give time for the areas to dry out properly before sending mechanical equipment into them, if not they would not have been able to do any proper cultivation.
“What we have seen then is late cultivation of the agricultural lands which has resulted in the fact that crops were not put into the land as early as required to meet the requirement of vegetables in November. Crops like pumpkins would have been severely affected and in some cases tomatoes…. That is something we had no control over in terms of nature,” he said. (GBM)
Please read the full story in today’s Saturday Sun, or in the eNATION edition.
