Battered by Maria, farms in Puerto Rico face long recovery
By David Abel GLOBE STAFF OCTOBER 06, 2017
ARECIBO, Puerto Rico — The stray bull had roamed through a valley of tall grass when the wranglers finally cornered it beside a highway on the island’s northern coast. They lassoed the animal and dragged it up a steep hill, prodding it over a guardrail and into a cattle cage.
The bucking bovine had a large gash on its side. Yet it was among the island’s more fortunate cattle, a survivor of the fierce winds and catastrophic flooding spawned by Hurricane Maria.
When the Category 4 hurricane barreled through Puerto Rico two weeks ago, at least 36 people died and tens of thousands lost their homes and businesses. But the island’s valuable livestock and vegetable farms — a significant part of its economy — sustained devastating losses as well.
Within a few hours, the storm destroyed an estimated 80 percent of the value of the island’s agricultural crops, costing it some $780 million, said Carlos Flores Ortega, secretary of Puerto Rico’s Department of Agriculture.
more
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/06/battered-maria-farms-puerto-rico-face-long-recovery/hZAz1P7oE69IerGrviN8KM/story.html