Can
anyone imagine a time when foreign aid might not be available? I can.
Sooner than expected.
100
percent of crops gone in towns north of Lautoka
All
of the crops north of Lautoka have been ruined by Cyclone Winston and
farmers have to start all over again, says the manager of a
cooperative in Nadi.
26
February, 2015
Alex Perrottet
Rotting bananas at the foot of broken trees. In Fiji's West and North, almost all crops are gone. #TCWinston
Cyclone
Winston has claimed 42 lives so far, with two people still missing,
and it wiped out all of the crops north of Lautoka in the Western
Division, and caused significant damage in Nadi.
However,
Kyle Stice of Natures Way Cooperative said seeds and plants in the
Sigatoka Valley were not as badly hit and they would serve as the
means to re-grow the crop.
He
said each cyclone was unpredictable and Cyclone Winston's speed, as
well as it being a 'dry' cyclone, meant that some crops survived, and
the usual post-cyclone flooding was not as bad as expected.
But
the farmers he worked with would be demoralised, he said.
"They
had now just invested in seven acres of fully irrigated papaya, it
was on the group when it was up and going, and they lost 100 percent
of their crop and this has an impact on the confidence of farmers,
particularly in these high risk export crops."
Devastation
caused by Cyclone Winston to Fiji's outer islands Photo: NZ
Defence Force
Nature's
Way Cooperative is an agribusiness providing packaging, marketing and
technical services to Fiji's small-scale farm growers.
Mr
Stice said he was trying get families to diversify their income
streams, so they did not suffer so much from major shocks like
cyclones.
Mr
Stice said small farmers were already back at work salvaging their
crops and re-planting, and that some farmers during the cyclone
managed to save seedlings from their nursery.
"We
have a few exceptions, a few innovative nursery men who have put in
place some disaster mitigation strategies and were able to dismantle
their nursery, were able to pull some of those seedlings into their
house. One here in Nadi used a few classrooms to store his
seedlings."
He
stressed that farmers needed to diversify and not rely on only one
type of crop and that breadfruit in particular had been hardy, adding
that only two trees out of a plantation of 236 in Nadi were ruined.
As the sun sets on day 5 since #TCWinston banana and casava crops are standing but ruined.
An
uprooted tree in Fiji following category 5 Cyclone Winston. Photo: TWITTER
/ @FijiRedCrossMethodist Church
Churches will double as evacuation centres for as long as necessary following Cyclone Winston, says Fiji's Methodist Church.
About
45,000 people, or 5 percent of the country's population, are in
evacuation centres such as schools and churches following the
category five cyclone.
Those
being housed in schools will soon be relocated to churches and
community halls as children start to go back to school.
Spokesperson
Reverend James Bhagwan said the church will continue to make its
buildings available wherever possible.
"Whatever
we have, we will share. Because it is the people of Fiji struggling
at the moment, and there a time now for everyone to offer whatever we
can.
Reverend
James said the Methodist Church was still waiting to make
communication with some of its divisions to find out if their
buildings had been damaged.
A truck with water passes by in Nadi, heading to a shop. Many in evacuation centres could do with some. #TCWinston
Assessing
the damage after category five Cyclone Winston. Photo: Twitter
/ @AlinaziahMore assistance
The
Pacific Islands Forum has offered coordinated regional assistance and
support to Fiji following Cyclone Winston.
Its
chair, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, said the
increased frequency and destructiveness of natural hazards in the
Pacific highlighted the region's vulnerability.
Secretary
General Dame Meg Taylor said her agency stood ready to co-ordinate
any assistance required.
She
said this could include the provision of scientific and technical
support for disaster response teams, work to mobilise additional
funds or assessment of damage.
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