Jamaica Authorities Estimate 15-20 Percent Losses After Sandy

Coffee authorities in Jamaica are wary placing a dollar value on the wreckage of the country’s coffee crop due to Hurricane Sandy two weeks ago, but they are estimating that some farmers lost 30 to 40 percent of their crop.

In a recent interview with Jamaica’s Gleaner, Jamaica Coffee Industry Board Director General Christopher Gentles tentatively estimates that the country’s current crop may have been hit by 15 percent overall, representing $3 million in losses in $20 million worth of exports.

He told the Gleaner:

We try not to be in the business of guesstimates. We think that based upon early feedback from farmers, the national crop damage would be no more than 15-20 per cent. There are some farmers who suffered 30-40 per cent crop damage, but the tree damage cannot be verified until we get verification later in November after a proper survey.

For more information: Gleaner