A number of farmers in Anguilla have been able to cultivate and harvest various ground produce six months after Hurricane Irma destroyed crops and fruit trees throughout the island.
While there was not the volume of rainfall from Irma in September, 2017, like previous hurricanes such as Lenny in November 1999, several farmers benefitted much from their cultivations.
One such farmer is Mr. Staqlene Williams, a longstanding employee at the Agricultural Department. He is among a group of farmers who were granted the use of plots of the department’s land to grow vegetables to help offset the cost of imports. Known for his tomato supplies, Williams harvested a quantity of well-grown carrots as well as pumpkins which he put on sale.
While there is still an abundance of unharvested carrots on his agricultural lot ,across from The Valley Well area, there are scores of pumpkins littering another of his lots. The pumpkin vines have all been wiped out by worm infection, but the various sizes of produce are seen in droves, like stones across the land.
Pumpkins are a popular vegetable in Anguilla and are largely imported from a number of neighbouring islands. With the quantity available at William’s field, there should not be a need for imports for several weeks.
