National plan for eradication of bothersome cow itch

The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with plantation owners will soon be rolling out a national cow itch eradication programme.

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

He was responding to an appeal by Lovells Road, Massiah Street resident Michael Greenidge, who asked that the cow itch-ridden fields of Society Plantation be subdivided and put back into production.

“Society is the worst kept plantation in the world; it is a cow itch farm,” he lamented.

The minister agreed that the plantation was unkempt and explained that it was not a simple task to subdivide the land. He said the plantation was owned by the Codrington Trust and was being leased to a private individual.

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

He added that officials from his ministry were currently engaged in discussions to gain possession of the land. 

Acknowledging that cowitch was not only a St John problem, Weir said his ministry was putting a plan together with the help of plantation owners to control the weed.

“We recognise there is a problem with cow itch growing on fallow lands. We met with the Attorney General and the farmers who own large [plots] of plantation land that attract cow itch when they are not in production. We have agreed that outside of the regulations that he [the Attorney General] is bringing to make sure lands are kept clean, private lots and [so on], that we would do a national cow itch management programme,” the agriculture minister said.

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

“Many of the farmers recognised that cow itch is not easy to get rid of. During harvest of sugarcane, the seeds are scattered. When the seeds are scattered they stay in the ground for as long as seven years,” he said. 

“So you can’t just get rid of cow itch. You need a structured management programme, where when the cow itch is green, you send people to remove the cowitch. When canes start to grow, you then have to get what you call the high clear tractors to go through and do spraying . . . . As soon as his (the Attorney General’s) regulations go to Parliament, we will introduce as a dove tail, that national cowitch management programme.” 

Over the years, especially during the sugarcane harvest season, many residents complained about the discomfort caused by cow itch, such as intense itching, rash and blistering. 

On several occasions, schools across the island have had to close early as a result of cow itch affecting students and staff. (SZB)