Fiji Times - Thursday, April 01, 2010
DALO farmers in Taveuni will lose about $2.4million in export earnings because of damage caused by Hurricane Tomas.
Agriculture Ministry permanent secretary Colonel Mason Smith said damage caused to the tausala export market was enormous.
"For example, the Taveuni dalo production alone is around 500-600 tonnes of tausala per month. Due to the damage caused by Tomas, it is expected that production will drop to 150-200 tonnes per month before it begins to stabilise after three months or more," he said.
"The drop in production in this initial three-month period is estimated at around $2.4million. This is income forgone by tausala farmers in Taveuni alone, not to mention the loss of income due to damage in livestock and other crops such as yaqona, copra, cassava, breadfruit, cocoa, and fruits and vegetables in all the affected areas of the North, Lau and Lomaiviti."
Colonel Smith said the budget for the immediate rehabilitation phase was $2,667,038 and these funds would be sourced from within the department's 2010 budget allocation.
Colonel Smith stated that on economic crop and livestock recovery the focus would be on the rehabilitation of the dalo and yaqona industries in the affected areas so that the tausala dalo exports could recover quickly.
He said they were also seeking assistance from donor countries and agencies to assist in this phase of the rehabilitation and were working closely with DISMAC.
"The Department of Agriculture has completed its initial response to Hurricane Tomas and this included the dispatch of survey teams to Lau, Lomaiviti, Bua, Macuata and Cakaudrove, the distribution of planting material and vegetable seeds," he said.
"This exercise cost a total of $72,207. The next phase is our immediate rehabilitation of the worst affected areas, focusing first on food security."
He said farmers and villagers were being encouraged to grow short-term vegetables and root crops for their own consumption.
Cakaudrove damage bill $41m
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Kesaia Perina of Rauriko village salvages her yaqona in time before they rot
TOTAL damage for crops and livestock for the province of Cakaudorve has increased to $41million.
According to the National Disaster Management Report yesterday, the agricultural officers had completed the detailed damage assessment for the 10 tikina in Macuata which amounted to more than $3million.
It also stated that crop and livestock damage to the Province of Bua amounted to $510,615.75.
Agriculture Ministry permanent secretary Colonel Mason Smith met senior officers on Monday afternoon to discuss ways to help farmers affected in Taveuni.
"We had met on Monday evening and will be giving out something soon on the outcome of the meeting," he said.
On Monday, the report stated that the cost of crop damage in Taveuni was estimated at $20million
Meanwhile, Hurricane Tomas' damage bill currently stands at $35.3million.
Agriculture was the worst affected, making up 66 per cent of the bill with damage totalling $23.6m.
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