Mystery disease plagues lettuce farms in St Bess
IN THE wake of a rare disease that has decimated watermelon farms in St Elizabeth and Manchester, lettuce cultivators in the southwestern region of the so-called Breadbasket Parish are facing huge financial fallout from a similar scourge.
Akeem Gibbs, a lettuce farmer from Munro, who lost, in one instance, 1,500lb of lettuce with a market value of $300,000, described the situation as a crisis and is appealing for assistance from state authorities in combating the disease.
Farmers like Gibbs have been noticing a yellowing of the leafy veggie when lettuce is about three weeks old, causing it to die.
“Normally, a garden like this, I would be able to cut 1,500lb of lettuce, but because of the disease, I could only get 400lb,” Gibbs disclosed.
He said that both of his farms have been partially wiped out by the rare disease since June.
“It affecting us a good while now since June, but we a seh probably is because we plant in the same space too long, but even when we plant in other areas, we are faced with the problem,” Gibbs revealed.
The 28-year-old, who has been farming since age 12, said he has experimented with different sprays but none have worked. He is now considering crop substitution in an attempt to recover his losses.
Courtney Gayle has lost more than 3,000lb of his crop over an extended period, absorbing a financial hit of more than half a million dollars.
At first, he thought the source of the problem was dew, but he soon dismissed that theory.
Pointing to the root of diseased lettuce, Gayle concluded that the scourge attacks the crop above the earth.
Nigel Falconer said he has not experienced significant loss so far, but he has witnessed spoilage in his current crop. He hopes that he will be able to reap the greater portion of the batch before it succumbs to the disease.
But even though some lettuce farms are hard hit, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) District Field Services and Operations Officer Winston Simpson has sought to assure householders and food businesses that there will be adequate supplies of the vegetable for the holidays.
“What we will see is a possible shortage in sweet pepper, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and Irish potatoes stemming from the drought the farmers have been experiencing in the parish for some time, but there will be enough lettuce on the market to satisfy demand,” Simpson told The Gleaner.
The operations officer said that an investigation will have to be carried out on the blighted lettuce to determine the cause of the problem.
Meanwhile, a well-placed source at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Industry and Commerce with knowledge of the issue has theorised that some farmers who travelled abroad may have smuggled i n seeds without authorisation and which did not undergo vetting by officials.
“I have even seen evidence of one farmer claiming to be a diabetic smuggling in garlic seeds at the bottom of his medication container, so yes, the farmers could be their worst enemy, bringing in seeds that could very well be compromised,” the source, who requested anonymity, revealed.
In the meantime, a number of farmers have supported Simpson’s claim about the shortages, with one cultivator projecting that carrots and sweet peppers will be in short supply for the holidays.
He also attributed the impending shortage to t he extended drought that farmers have been experiencing.