On Friday, February 28th, cyclone Garance "disfigured" Reunion Island, according to prefect Patrice Latron, who has launched the accelerated natural disaster procedure. The latest death toll reported by local authorities is 5. Already weakened by cyclone Belal in January 2024 and 7 months of drought, the island now has to cope with extensive material damage. Fruit and vegetable crops have been strongly affected.
© FDSEA Reunion Island
Banana, tomato, and lychee crops hit hard
Sugar cane production, which accounts for more than half of the island's agricultural land, has been severely damaged, so future yields are likely to be historically low. Banana plantations have been completely destroyed which, according to the Chamber of Agriculture, represents a lost year of production. Pineapple plantations have also been affected. Greenhouse crops, notably tomatoes and strawberries, have been destroyed, and some greenhouses will have to be rebuilt. Finally, lychee production has been "durably impacted, with severely damaged trees, leaving producers without income for at least 5 years."
© FDSEA Reunion Island
"The French government and local authorities must take swift action"
While some compensation payments following Cyclone Belal still have not been made, the Chamber of Agriculture is calling for swift action to address the damage. Producers need logistical and financial support to restore plots of land and infrastructure, as well as faster compensation procedures. According to Sébastien Windsor, president of Chambers of Agriculture France, who visited the site to see the extent of the damage alongside Olivier Fontaine, president of the Reunion Chamber of Agriculture, "extraordinary situations require extraordinary support. It is imperative that the French government and local authorities mobilize quickly to support the farmers of Reunion Island. The losses are considerable, and without strong and rapid support, the future of these men and women who work tirelessly for the development of this sector is at stake. It is the future of the sector that is at risk, along with the jobs that this region so desperately needs."
FNSEA is calling on the French government to release an emergency fund "to deal with this disaster, as well as with all past calamities." It is determined to mobilize public authorities in order to provide Reunion Island's farmers with the funds they need to relaunch production."