Hurricane Maria Has Wiped-Out Puerto Rico’s Entire Agriculture
Puerto Rico, a small island nation in the Caribbean region faced devastating results from Hurricane Maria, which has almost destroyed entire agrarian yield of the nation and left it with nothing for at least one more year to come. The Country ranking 93rd in the Global Climate Risk Index 2017, with a Climate Risk Index (CRI) Score of 85.67, may remain hollow in agriculture for next one year as per local reports. Puerto Rico’s agriculture secretary, Carlos Flores Ortega, speaking with the US media estimated that Hurricane Maria wiped out 80 per cent of the value of the island’s crops in a matter of hours, worth US dollar 780 million. The newspaper quoted a farmer on the southeast coast as saying, “There is no more agriculture in Puerto Rico. And there won’t be for a year or longer.”
Puerto Rico has suffered average losses in million US dollar of 504.96 if purchasing power parity is counted along with 46th rank in the world if percentage GDP losses per unit are counted.
The Category four hurricane stripped leaves from plants and even the bark of trees, leaving a rich agricultural area looking like the result of a post-apocalyptic drought. Rows and rows of fields were denuded. Plants simply blew away. Dairy barns and large poultry houses were destroyed. Flores said the plantain, banana, and coffee crops were the hardest hit. As a comparison, Hurricane Irma, which grazed the island two weeks ago, caused US dollar 45 million in losses of agricultural production.
“Puerto Rico already imports about 85 per cent of its food, and now its food imports are certain to rise drastically as local products like coffee and plantains are added to the list of Maria’s staggering losses,” said the Times. Agriculture Secretary Flores said the island has the opportunity to rebuild its agricultural sector with modern equipment, infrastructure, and practices. “We had an antiquated agricultural infrastructure that maybe now is the opportunity to make it more efficient. Now is the moment because we’re starting from zero,” he told the US Media.
