The Puerto Rico Farm Bureau has established the Puerto Rico Agricultural Relief Fund to help address the agricultural losses inflicted this past September by Hurricane Maria. The hurricane struck Puerto Rico head-on, devastating as much as 80 percent of the island’s farm production.
Puerto Rico’s farm families are now facing enormous challenges rebuilding their farms. These include dairy and livestock farms, and those producing field crops, plantains, bananas, papaya and coffee.
“Maria was a devastating storm and many farmers and ranchers in Puerto Rico face an unprecedented challenge to return their land to production and rebuild infrastructure,” said Puerto Rico Farm Bureau President Hector Ivan Cordero. “The disaster will affect our farm and ranch families for many years, but our will to overcome the damage is strong.”
According to Cordero, while some work has been done, recovery from Hurricane Maria will be a major, long-term initiative. Providing private assistance to the farm and ranch families hit so hard by Hurricane Maria is the first essential step to recovery. The Puerto Rico Farm Bureau has established the Puerto Rico Agricultural Relief Fund in collaboration with Texas Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Research and Education Foundation.
Tax-deductible donations can be made to the foundation to assist Puerto Rico’s farmers and ranchers. Donations to this fund will be dispersed via an application process directly to the farmers and ranchers affected by the hurricane, with 100 percent of the donations to this fund going directly to aid farmers and ranchers in Puerto Rico.
Your tax-deductible credit card donation can be made online by clicking the link below:
Puerto Rico Agricultural Relief Fund
Please contact Janice Neckar at jneckar@txfb.org or 254-751-2494 with monetary donation questions.
If you prefer to pay by check, make it out to the “Texas Farm Bureau Agriculture Research and Education Foundation” and send to:
Texas Farm Bureau Agriculture Research and Education Foundation
Puerto Rico Agricultural Relief Fund
P.O. Box 2689
Waco, TX 76702-2689
Attn: Cyndi Gerik
“Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico and showed little mercy,” said Cordero. “Our farmers will overcome this tragedy, and we are looking forward to rebuilding our island’s agricultural sector, even if that means one family and one farm at a time.”
An application form for Puerto Rican farmers seeking assistance is available through the Puerto Rico Farm Bureau. You can also download an application and learn more details about the relief fund and how to apply for assistance at the Puerto Rico Agricultural Relief website. Applications are due March 1, 2018.