What is the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaican agriculture?

Hurricane Melissa is expected to have a devastating impact on Jamaica's agriculture sector, particularly on the southern coast, where it is forecast to make landfall as a powerful Category 4 or 5 storm.

How are Jamaican farmers preparing for Hurricane Melissa?

Jamaican farmers, like Junior Ebanks, are bracing for the storm's arrival by securing their greenhouses and crops, and praying for the best, though they fear losing everything they have worked hard to rebuild after last year's Hurricane Beryl.

What is the Jamaican government doing to respond to Hurricane Melissa?

The Jamaican government, led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, has been warning citizens about the threat and has put public hospitals on emergency mode. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency has also deployed resources to support the country's preparedness and response efforts.

Home / Disasters and Accidents / Jamaican Farmers Prepare for Devastating Hurricane Melissa

Jamaican Farmers Prepare for Devastating Hurricane Melissa

27 Oct

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Summary

Farmers in Jamaica's southern coast brace for Hurricane Melissa, a potentially catastrophic storm
Melissa threatens to devastate the agriculture sector, which was just recovering from last year's Hurricane Beryl
Farmers fear losing their entire crops and investments, with the storm arriving during the peak growing season

Jamaican Farmers Prepare for Devastating Hurricane Melissa

As of October 28th, 2025, Jamaican farmers on the southern coast are preparing for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Melissa, a potentially devastating storm that threatens to cripple the island's agriculture sector. The storm is expected to make landfall on the same day, bringing catastrophic winds, heavy rainfall, and life-threatening flooding.

For Junior Ebanks, a farmer in the Treasure Beach area, the timing of Melissa's arrival could not be worse. Ebanks was just getting ready to start planting for the lucrative winter tourism season, a time when his greenhouses would typically produce 6,000 pounds of Scotch bonnet peppers, along with other high-value crops. Now, he is bracing for the possibility of losing everything again, just as he did last year when Hurricane Beryl devastated his farm.

The agricultural sector in Jamaica has been making a gradual comeback since Beryl, with the government investing in initiatives like greenhouses and strengthening the links between farmers and the tourism industry. However, the country's Minister of Agriculture, Floyd Green, acknowledges that these weather events remain the greatest threat to the country's hard-won self-sufficiency in key crops.

As Melissa approaches, the Jamaican government has been working to prepare the country, with public hospitals entering emergency mode and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency deploying resources to support the response. Farmers and fishermen have been urged to secure their investments and take shelter, but the sense of dread and uncertainty looms large over the southern coast.

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