BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WHILE a youth group is interested in self-development by means of a hydroponics farm, there are others who are bent on destabilising their efforts.
The group consists of 12 young men from the McKnight and surrounding communities who have two hydroponics farms – Kittitian Home Grown (KHG) – one of which is located in the yard of the old Education Building at Greenlands.
SKNVibes understands that since its inception two or three years ago, it has been targeted by vandals and thieves, and over the past three weeks these incidences have dramatically increased.
Upon visiting the farm today (Apr. 22), SKNVibes met six of the young men who explained that more than 80 pots, tools, produce and material have been stolen.
“About 50 pots have been stolen over the past three weeks and more than 30 have been stolen just recently. A lot of the green mesh has been ripped out and about 100 feet of it have been stolen.”
The facility consists of a nursery and 10 shade houses in which the crops are grown. The shade houses are fitted with a special green mesh material which protects the plans from certain pests.
The young men expressed that it is somewhat disheartening to see that they have been endeavoring to do positive things for their community and an individual or individuals continually try to derail their efforts.
Their produce, which includes kale, arugula, pak choy, eggplant, yellow and red beets, corn on the cob and ochro, is sold to their customers for profit but their concern is that whatever money made has to be pumped back into procuring equipment and material that would have been stolen.
The young entrepreneurs also said that they have lodged complaints with the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force about the ongoing events.
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