There is a ray of hope tonight for the country's banana growers. They suffered major losses after two freak storms on Monday and Tuesday played havoc on the industry's 24 plantations.
As we reported last night, the loss to the industry is staggering, and there is now an immediate need to rehabilitate the damaged fields and to begin replanting to avoid further losses.
But without a quick infusion of cash, it could set the industry back by several years. And that's why officials from the BGA welcomed a visit to the Banana belt today by the Minister of Agriculture, Rene Montero and his CEO, Gabino Canto.
The pair visited the banana belt to witness firsthand the damage done to this country's second most important crop. According to the Banana Growers Association's CEO, Sam Mathias, the officials were given a tour of the plantations that suffered damage during the freak storms.
The Minister has assured the BGA that his government is already exploring the possibilities of funding from either the SSB or DFC. And already, reports are that the board of DFC met this afternoon, to consider the BGA's request for assistance. In the meantime, Mathias says the BGA is also making contacts with private lending institutions, and is holding out hope for a positive outcome. He says that the BGA expects to have a final figure on the industry's total loss in the next ten days or so.
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