Yesterday I went to visit my daughter and was shocked to see the banana grove my son-in-law had planted in a state of total ruin. It is amazing how so much hard work and sacrifice goes to waste due to a lack of water; this year, there was hardly any rainfall in many communities here on Margarita—especially in the farming villages, which were hit hardest by the drought.A blight also struck the papaya plants, so there wasn't a single good one
I saw many bunches that had fallen while still immature, lying on the ground because they couldn't be used. For others that were slightly larger and more developed, we had to prop them up with poles to keep the plants from toppling over under the weight. Truly, this year's crop yielded no economic return and couldn't even provide food for the household.