As the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is felt across the country, small farmers — especially those who supply produce to the now-dormant tourism sector — are among those most affected.

With the temporary closure of hotels, many of these farmers now have no market for their goods and are suffering losses.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer last Friday, Tarique Bennett-Cobbla, owner and operator of Nuegen Farming, which specialises in iceberg and romaine lettuce, said that since the onslaught of the virus, production has pretty much halted.

“I plant the lettuce in stages. Normally, I would be cutting every week but since the virus, everything has been paused,” he shared.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sunday-finance/Farming_hit_by_COVID-19_190772