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As THE STAR team journeyed through the hills of Coptic in St Thomas, we stumbled upon a few farmers who were busy renovating a broken pipe that channels water to their farm, said they were making preparations for young crops so as to resurge financially from the loss they have experienced due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Gladstone Ewart, 50, told THE STAR that he predicts a promising future for farmers towards the end of the year.

"When it touch August and go down to the last months, me think say food a go short, so we just a try fit set back some fresh crops. A that's why we deh here a work pon the water fi have fresh ting again," he said. "Anyhow it go, people a go need food, so even though we lose some crops because things slow down, we still have to prepare. This ting is a cycle."

Ewart has lost a portion of his produce due to a lack of sales resulting from the halt brought on by COVID-19.

"Nothing nah gwan pon farming right yah now fi we. Corona slow up di ting bad. Me sell my stuff to vendors from all over. Dem come here and buy from me, and about a month now me nuh see nobody at all," he said. "Me lose about a $100,000 wah me invest in cucumber because them pack up and spoil off."

He has not only experienced a loss of ground provisions, but the livestock market has also seen a decline.

Business mash up

"Right now me have about 800 chicken pon fridge and about 150 in a coop affi kill. That business mash up to because a shopkeeper and jerk man used to buy, and me nuh see nobody. Remember say jerk man affi go in early from 6 o'clock, and dem ting deh a late-night business, so it slow up," he said.

But Ewart, being an optimist, refuses to dwell on his losses and has plans for the days ahead.

"The greatest thing a life, enuh, so even if I lose the wealth, it can come again. Life is a cycle. Sometime it up and then it down, so me just a prepare for better days ahead," he said.

Likewise, Cliffton Fox is preparing for future endeavours while being a good neighbour.

"Right now me just affi a plan fi come again and set more things to plant up because we already lose the other crops. Me just a eat what me can, give some to a brethren or neighbour who nuh have, and just live and do we ting same way," Fox told THE STAR. "See right now a di water we a fix because without the water, the crop dem a go dead. So me just a focus pon fi prepare more food now."