‘Dysfunctional agriculture ministry causing birds to die’ – SKNLP

Laying birds are dying in St Kitts and Nevis because the Department of Agriculture isn’t giving farmers enough food, the opposition has said.

Eugene Hamilton, the federation’s minister of agriculture, has come in for particular criticism from the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP).

According to Terrance Drew, SKNLP caretaker for St Christopher 8, not only is the minister “dysfunctional and unable to perform” but inefficiency extends across the Ministry and Agriculture and Department of Agriculture.

[caption id="attachment_1426" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Terrance Drew.[/caption]

And Drew has told the media that he has been getting “numerous complaints from poultry farmers of their inability to get feed from the Department of Agriculture, resulting in the loss of dozens of laying birds and broilers. One farmer lost as many as 90 birds.”

WIC News has reached out to Eugene Hamilton and relevant departments but are yet to receive a response.

‘What will our animals eat?’

[caption id="attachment_1424" align="alignleft" width="239"] Eugene Hamilton.[/caption]

Drew said: “They have been telling me that their chickens are dying. The Ministry of Agriculture under the leadership of Eugene Hamilton does not have chicken feed and pig feed and the farmers are hurting.”

Pig farmer Devin Richardson is one of the farmers complaining about an inadequate supply of food.

Earlier this month he said: “Pig food gone scarce again in St Kitts. It is not only pig feed the Department of Agriculture is out of. It is also out of chicken feed such as broiler, starter, and finisher. No feed at all until sometime next week.

“What will our animals eat until such time?

“It will be rough, but we have to do what we have to do, so that our animals can survive and be healthy.”