Puerto Rico’s agriculture devastated by Hurricane Maria

This undated photo provided by Hector Alejandro Santiago shows his farm in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, destroyed by September 2017’s Hurricane Maria. Farmers fear Puerto Rico’s small but diverse agricultural sector may never recover from the destruction to one of the island’s economic bright spots.

This undated photo provided by Hector Alejandro Santiago shows his farm in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, destroyed by September 2017’s Hurricane Maria. For 21 years Santiago raised poinsettias, orchids and other ornamental plants which were sold to major retailers including Costco, Walmart and Home Depot. In a matter of hours Maria wiped it away.

This undated photo provided by Hector Alejandro Santiago shows his farm in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, destroyed by September 2017’s Hurricane Maria. Farmers fear Puerto Rico’s small but diverse agricultural sector may never recover from the destruction to one of the island’s economic bright spots.

This undated photo provided by Hector Alejandro Santiago shows his farm in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, destroyed by September 2017’s Hurricane Maria. For 21 years Santiago raised poinsettias, orchids and other ornamental plants which were sold to major retailers including Costco, Walmart and Home Depot. In a matter of hours Maria wiped it away.

This undated photo provided by Hector Alejandro Santiago shows his farm in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, destroyed by September 2017’s Hurricane Maria. Farmers fear Puerto Rico’s small but diverse agricultural sector may never recover from the destruction to one of the island’s economic bright spots.

In this Sept. 21, 2017 file photo, a field of plantains is flooded one day after the impact of Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, Thursday. Farmers fear that Puerto Rico’s small but diverse agricultural sector may never recover from the sucker punch delivered to one of the island’s economic bright spots by Hurricane Maria. While most of the island’s food is imported, statistics from the governor showed employment in agriculture growing and the area cultivated was up 50 percent in the four years before Maria.

In this September 22, 2017 file photo, dead horses lie on the side of the road after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Farmers fear that Puerto Rico’s small but diverse agricultural sector may never recover from the sucker punch delivered to one of the island’s economic bright spots by Hurricane Maria. While most of the island’s food is imported, statistics from the governor showed employment in agriculture growing and the area cultivated was up 50 percent in the four years before Maria.

In this Sept. 25, 2017 file photo, dead poultry are seen in a farm, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. A government official said that the farm, which supplies the only fresh chicken in Puerto Rico, lost more than one million chickens.

This undated photo provided by Hector Alejandro Santiago shows his farm in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, destroyed by September 2017’s Hurricane Maria. For 21 years Santiago raised poinsettias, orchids and other ornamental plants which were sold to major retailers including Costco, Walmart and Home Depot. In a matter of hours Maria wiped it away.

In this Sept. 25, 2017 file photo, a lone chicken walks amongst dead birds on a poultry farm in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. A government official said the farm, which supplies the only fresh chicken in Puerto Rico, lost more than one million chickens.