Aerial Damage Assessment Doesn’t Include Cost of Damages

In other parts of the Cayo District, the Prime Minister reports that hundreds of acres of farmland are underwater. This spells trouble for farmers in Valley of Peace, who are facing significant losses in vegetables and other crops. The Prime Minister’s aerial damage assessment hasn’t yet included the costs.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Here in the plains in Cayo, Santander, hundreds of acres of cane land are under water.  Lots of small farmers have lost their crops, the vegetables in Cayo Central, by La Gracia, also by mile seven, that area.  We have a lot of farmers that grow vegetables and their vegetables and crops are under water.  Over all, what we are seeing is a lot of infrastructure damage like, for example, what we are seeing here.  This small bridge that connects to St. Martin Primary School, and agricultural crops.  Our small farmers are losing and we have to see, how we can fix the infrastructure, infrastructure that can now hold the kind of water that is running down and also to work with our small farmers and see how we can help them.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What’s the initial cost or is it too early to determine?”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think it’s way too early to determine.  Captain Mendez was with me on the flyover, from NEMO, and they have their assessment team outside.  So it’s going to be quite substantial, unfortunately, but we have to find a way.  But we Belizeans are resilient and we will find a way how to rebound and to rebound even better.”