Westmoreland poultry farmer counts losses after Hurricane Melissa, appeals for help

This year was a rough one for Treshanna Smith, as she experienced the depths of heartbreak and survival all in the span of five months.

The young poultry farmer, who lost her baby in July, is now facing yet another tragedy, that is, the destruction of her home and small business after Hurricane Melissa tore through Westmoreland.

“Hurricane Melissa has been devastating,” she said.

“For the first time, you know, I felt like my life was threatened. You know, this has been a catastrophic year for the family and for me and my baby.”

Despite the heartbreak, she has to stay strong for her two-year-old daughter, who depends on her.

Before the storm, Smith was focused on rebuilding her life after this personal loss.

Overcome by grief, she decided that she would pour all her energy into sustaining the family business, which kept food on the table.

Having been laid off from her hotel job last year, she decided to start her own poultry business, a registered venture she had hoped to expand.

“[The hotel] lay me off. They don’t call back. So, I’m trying to do a little business now,” she explained.

“And then this storm come here and mash up everything.”

The Category 5 hurricane flattened her chicken coop, killing more than 100 of her 150 birds.

“It’s a good thing the bathroom was concrete,” she recalled, referring to her board house, which was also destroyed by Melissa.

“So, me could have put back the leftover chicken from the 150 that I have. I only saved back 30 out of it.”

Before the storm, her flock produced up to three boxes of eggs per week, which was enough to supply a local supermarket and provide income for her family.

But now, her once busy chicken coop has been silenced as it now lies in ruins.

She and her husband, who is also out of work, have been struggling to clean up what’s left of their property.

“Cleaning up is hard [but] I get some help from family strength,” she said.

“Husband not working, and him have to do everything in the yard. We try to go back, put back things together.”

Just over a month before the catastrophe hit, her husband had just finished installing an additional section of the chicken coop.

At the thought of all their efforts, Smith remembers crying as she watched the wind rip through their property during the hurricane.

“When I saw that the chickens [were in danger]… me cry. There is nothing else to do,” she said quietly.

“[We] lose everything. Me have to inna me mother house now.”

Her husband had braved the storm, desperately trying to save what he could as the structure started to fall through.

“Me husband run out inna the rain and tied down the roof and try to batten up what him can inna the heavy breeze. We try to put some barbed wire on it but it still wasn’t enough.”

But beyond the chickens, their home also suffered major damage.

“Clothes, the windows, the dresser, bed, mattress, roofing, TV, everything,” she said.

“Just the bathroom and the concrete kitchen [left].”

Rebuilding won’t be easy.

Between replacing the birds and repairing the coop, she estimates she’ll need about $300,000.

“Because the layers are expensive, and we have to order them. And ano like them come same time. And then we have to build up back the coop,” she explained.

Smith started the business earlier this year, usually sourcing her layers from Hi-Pro in St Catherine.

After losing everything just the same during Hurricane Beryl, this would be the family’s second time restarting.

“Me start out with 30 chicken and over time continue extend and buy.”

Now, she’s appealing for help to get back on her feet.

“I would really like to get back some layers so me can continue the business. Egg kind of short and we’re coming up to Christmas now, and Westmoreland mash-up. Egg a go really, really short. And me normally supply a supermarket with egg, and I don’t have it.”

Smith always looks forward to the Christmas season when she notices that there is a higher demand for eggs but this year, she must look forward to the disappointment of not making the profit she usually does.

Additionally, with food prices soaring and resources becoming scarce, she says raising egg prices may be the only way to survive.

“Everybody else raised their prices, you understand, So, we all want to survive,” she said.

“Everything is limited, so for survival purposes, we have to raise up the prices. It’s not necessarily a choice.”

- Mickalia Kington

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