Flooding Wreaks Havoc on Farms: Farmers Voice Concerns Over Waterlogged Roads and Fields

September 29, 2024
Severe flooding in the area causes significant losses for farmers, with one reporting thousands of chickens lost due to waterlogged fields. Another farmer highlights crop destruction and lack of government assistance.
The roads and fields quickly become waterlogged, causing problems for farmers and residents.
Jacqueline Riley, a small farmer, said her family has already lost thousands of chickens.
“It’s bad and it’s been so for years, especially in the last five years or so. I had to build a hump at the top of my gap to try and stop the water from flooding all my chicken pens. We’ve lost thousands of chickens over the years, one year we lost around 2 800 in one night to flooding,” she said.
Another concerned farmer, who requested anonymity, said water pools in the roads, then pours into the fields, destroying crops.
“Flood water creates bare problems for me. I have lost fields of melons, hot peppers and cucumbers. To walk through water to try and pick up melons is hard,” he said.
The farmer said they had appealed for help from Government to no avail, adding, “nobody cares nothing about the farmers around here”. (CA)