Tropical storms claim thousands of animals

Hundreds of pigs and goats were lost as a result of Tropical Storms Grace and Ida which affected the country in August.

Audley Shaw, the stand- in agriculture minister, said in Parliament yesterday that 736 pigs, valued at $4.8 million, and 906 goats, valued at $10.2 million, were lost due to the weather system.

A mammoth 79,473 chickens, valued at $ 23 million, and 42 beef cattle, valued at $ 14.5 million, were lost.

Shaw said that some 3,577 farmers islandwide were affected by the loss of their animals due to the tropical storms. The estimated losses amount to nearly $61 million.

The minister announced that $70 million will be allocated to provide seeds and other planting materials, pesticides and other inputs to get farmers back into production following widespread damage and loss of crops. He said that another $ 30 million will be provided to support the poultry and small ruminant industries.