As Hurricane Isaac ripped through the area, Becnel estimates it wiped out between 90 to 95 percent of what was shaping up to be a bountiful crop.
"We had about 18 inches of water. So, a lot of the fruit floated away. It's gone," he said. "Every tree, some of 'em are split open, like this one over here. Some are broken off."
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At this point in the season, Becnel said, there should be no fruit on the ground underneath his trees. Wednesday, his fields were covered with rotting satsumas. Much of what didn't fall, likely will, and none of it can be used.
Becnel has to replace 2,000 trees, which won't be fruitful or profitable for another five years.
While he's pushing forward and protecting the crop that can be salvaged, it's hard to shake the images of all that was lost.
"In my mind, I know what they look like, and my stomach will get cold inside," Becnel said. "It's I guess, just like a defeated kind of an attitude."
"We had a profitable business, but if this continues like this, we can't keep on."
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Wed Sep 12 15:25:55 PDT 2012
Plaquemines citrus farmers facing huge losses in Isaac’s wake
Across more than 40 acres of Ben Becnel’s citrus farmalong Highway 23 in Plaquemines Parish, the devastation is nearly complete. view full article
At this point in the season, Becnel said, there should be no fruit on the ground underneath his trees. Wednesday, his fields were covered with rotting satsumas. Much of what didn't fall, likely will, and none of it can be used.
Becnel has to replace 2,000 trees, which won't be fruitful or profitable for another five years.
While he's pushing forward and protecting the crop that can be salvaged, it's hard to shake the images of all that was lost.
"In my mind, I know what they look like, and my stomach will get cold inside," Becnel said. "It's I guess, just like a defeated kind of an attitude."
"We had a profitable business, but if this continues like this, we can't keep on."
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