Hurricane Matthew leaves vendors counting losses

Vendors at the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston are providing mixed reviews regarding their sales leading up to Hurricane Matthew.

Verona Watson told THE STAR that she suffered a huge loss as her vegetables and seasonings were spoiled due to her being kept off the road during the hurricane watch period.

"Pure loses gwaan, mi a tell yuh. It never get fi sell, out before the storm, because when we hear Saturday that it coming, we pack up whatever we have and leave and we didn't dare come out pon Sunday. Monday now, we hear that we can't leave wi yard because the storm definitely coming. But majority of the tomatoes dem spoil," Watson said.

"Di scallion dem boil up, and the cucumber dem ripe up," she said.

GOOD PRODUCE

Watson said she suffered about $10,000 in loss and that she has basically scraped to find good produce to sell, as she has no other means of getting an income.

Another vendor, Angella Jackson, told THE STAR that she lost about $8,000 when her four boxes of bananas became spoiled.

"Yesterday I couldn't get any drive to come out, and I know people would a come and buy. It's just banana and pear I sell. I was hoping this morning to sell, but when I reach I realise how the bananas drop off a di stem and nobody nah go want buy [them] inna that state; but mi come out same way," she said.

A male fruit vendor told THE STAR that he was unaffected by the hurricane and that he had experienced no losses.

"Mi nuh buy nuttin more than mi usually buy, enuh, like melon and pineapple and cantaloupe. Mi nuh really lose ... the hurricane never really trouble mi. Mi nuh have no spoilage," he said.