Agriculture Minister Pearnel Charles Jr has said that farmers have suffered a whopping loss of over $60 million following the recent contamination in the Rio Cobre river.

This estimate as underscored by the Minister was concluded from assessments carried out by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation as well as the Agriculture Ministry.

The losses comes as several farmers who depended on the National Irrigation Commission for water suffered major damages since the NIC had to cut the water supply due to the contamination.

The subsequent lock-off disrupted the reaping cycle and also affected fish farmers who used the water for their daily operations.

In the interim, Minister Charles noted that the affected farmers are being engaged and that the necessary support will be given in short order.

In addition, multi-agency efforts will also be continued to ensure a comprehensive protection of the Rio Cobre Channel.