National plan for the eradication of bothersome cow itch

TThe Ministry of Agriculture will soon launch a national cow itch eradication program in collaboration with plantation owners.

Minister Indar Weir made the announcement during a Thursday evening Parish speaks town hall meeting in Gall Hill, St John.

He was responding to a call from Lovells Road resident Michael Greenidge, who asked for Society Plantation’s cow itch-ridden fields to be subdivided and brought back into production.

“Society is the most poorly kept plantation in the world; it is a cow itch farm,” he complained.

The minister agreed that the plantation was unkempt and explained that dividing the land was not an easy task. He said the plantation was owned by the Codrington Trust and leased to a private individual.

Weir said there is great potential to transform the plantation into a community agricultural development space through the Farmers’ Empowerment and Enfranchisement Drive (FEED) programme.

He added that officials from his ministry were currently in discussions to acquire the land.

Weir acknowledged that cow disease was not just a St. John’s problem and said his ministry was developing a plan with the help of plantation owners to control the weeds.

“We recognize that there is a problem with cow itch growing on fallow land. We met the Attorney General and the farmers who own large (plots of) plantation land that cause cow itch when not in production. We have agreed that, in addition to the regulations that he (the Attorney General) puts in place to ensure that land is kept clean, private plots and so on, we will establish a national cow itch control program,” the Agriculture Minister said .

He added that contrary to popular belief, cow itch cannot be destroyed by fire. Weir explained that fire only destroyed the plant, but the seeds could remain in the ground for up to seven years before germinating.

“Many farmers realized that cow itch is not easy to combat. The seeds are dispersed during the sugar cane harvest. When the seeds are dispersed, they remain in the ground for up to seven years,” he said.

“So you can’t just get rid of cow itch. You need a structured management program where, when the cow itch is green, you send people to remove the cow bark. When the reeds start to grow, you have to purchase so-called high-clearance tractors to go through them and spray. . . . As soon as his (the Attorney General’s) regulations go to Parliament, we will dovetail that national cow management program.”

Over the years, especially during the sugarcane harvest season, many residents complained about the discomfort caused by cow itch, such as severe itching, rashes and blisters.

On several occasions, schools across the island have had to close early due to cow itch among students and staff. (SZB)