According to Dominican Banana Association (Adobanano) president Simeón Ramírez, Northwest Line banana growers place the losses from flooded plantations at RD$2.1 billion. The figure has been confirmed by National Agricultural Producers Confederation (Confenagro) director Hecmilio Galván
Ramirez said some 5,500 hectares of banana plantations have been damaged, which he affirms has already led to a 25% fall in its exports. "I can say that because of the various scenarios that have occurred. It's been more than once when the water has entered and has left, we can say that those 5,000 hectares are going to be lost."
He said the country exports 380,000 boxes of bananas per week, but the flooding will decrease that figure by at least 90,000 boxes.
"That in terms of money implies a high value, it implies that probably for next year, when this begins to be reflected by year end, we'll have 50 million dollars less," he said.
"In my case the bananas that I lost were on 16 hectares that is ready to harvest, and of 30,000 clusters that were on the farm, we were only able to cut 1,000 and in plantains, I lost around RD$2 million, that means that I lose between six and seven million pesos," said producer Marcos Rodríguez, quoted by diariolibre.com.
Banana growers expect RD$1.0 billion in government funding from 5-year loans, with one year to start repaying.
(1 Dominican Peso=0.022 USD)
Source: dominicantoday.com