VEGETABLE and crop farmers in Kavanagasau, Nadroga, have been adversely affected by Tropical Cyclone Sarai.

Initial assessments made by advisory councillors along the affected areas reveal most farmers had lost a large amount of their crops.

Kavanagasau advisory councillor Parveen Deo said one farmer had lost 50 per cent of his crops to the Category 2 cyclone.

“So far we found a lot of farmers lost most of their vegetables such as bhindi, bora, cabbages and long bean while some lost pawpaw trees and root crops such as cassava and kumala,” he said.

“One farmer lost 50 per cent of his crop so we are doing our best to put together our assessment and hand it over to the relevant government agencies.”

Yalasa settlement president Yishwari Naidu said similar damage were reported in their community.

“We have about 10 farmers here and most of them were affected,” she said.

“I am a farmer as well and I lost a few of my livestock to the cyclone.”

She said power and water supply was also a problem yesterday.

“I use a borehole but I can’t access the water without the use of my water pump.

“I need electricity for that.

“We’ve been without power since Friday and so far a lot of us have been depending on water tanks or getting water from other houses.”

A team from the Agriculture Department were deployed to the region after TC Sarai passed the Western Division to assess the damage.