And while the Leader of the Opposition doesn't believe that the Barrow Administration will come to the aid of the farmers before their term in office ends, the Government has been making an assessment of the damages caused by the Hurricane Nana.
This evening, NEMO Minister Edmond Castro discussed with our colleagues from Krem TV news. Here's an excerpt of that conversation:
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO
"Basically the initial assessment have been completed, we are working on the detail assessment but so far from the initial assessment, we're looking at the areas that were hardest hit was aqua and agriculture industry, which was affected to the tune of approximately 5.4 million dollars. In the housing sector about 300,000 dollars, in tourism about 50,000 dollars, in road and bridges about 250,000 dollars. Houses affected was approximately 150 houses in the Stann Creek district and about 200 in the Toledo district. House affected both in the Stann Creek and Toledo district are minimal damage - two sheet of zinc, some plywood and things like that. So, most of the affected houses are not major repair, like house blow down and you have to completely rebuild a house, minimum damages for those areas. As it relates to the human assistance, that has been completed both in the Stann Creek and Toledo district. We're looking at areas in and around Dangriga, we're looking at Silk Grass, Sittee River, Hope Creek, Sarowee. Most of those areas have received some humanitarian assistance so far. So I think with that in mind, we're looking at approximately between 8 and 10 million dollars total in terms of two sheet of zinc, plywood, the banana and plantain industry, some corn, that's in the agricultural sector, in the aqua sector as well. So, the agro and aquaculture sector has been affected to the greatest degree."
Reporter
"Minister, so what will your ministry do with this information in terms of discriminating to government and what will be done with that information?"
Hon. Edmond Castro
"Well the initial damage assessment report has been tabled with cabinet yesterday. So we have that available for any media house or any organisation that would like to take a look at it and also we have people still on the ground, the damage assessment crew dealing with the detail and also we have NEMO on the ground and human development dealing with the humanitarian aspects in terms of trying to help people with some food to help them recover."
