BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – “AND if we don’t deal with this monkey problem, we can’t be here talking about agricultural development. Let’s deal with this thing first; this serious monkey problem or it doesn’t make sense to be talking about agricultural production.”
Strong words they may seem, but when White Hill farmer Austin Dore stood up at an agricultural seminar on April 6, organised by local farmers, his passion was in the right place. He spoke of some of the challenges small scale farmers face. And, it is not the worsening effects of climate change or the lack of government support or the diminishing resources made available to farmers that has been blamed the most crucial threat to local agriculture, it is the havoc caused by the ubiquitous Green Vervet Monkey – a horticultural nightmare.
Although not a unique case, St. Kitts has become known for its large population of monkeys, which is arguably greater than that of the human population in the twin-island Federation. The primates are seen almost everywhere; from beaches to rainforests and from public shopping areas to the family backyard. Alone in the park, they are adorable; in small groups, they seem a beauty to behold, but in large groups, these monkeys can devour a full acre of vegetation in less than a week – a devastating bite into a farmer’s pocket.
Cayon White Hill farmer Solomon Morton has met the bitter end of these monkeys. In a recent interview with SKNVibes, he recounted his experience.
“I had two full beds of watermelon taking up two half acres, and the monkeys went through bit by bit and just destroyed my entire crop...about 30-40 000 pounds of produce. This thing is a very serious issue and it is a major threat to our production.
At times it can be very discouraging; you put your all into cultivating and growing crops and then the monkeys will just come and harvest it all. They don’t stay in one corner, they attack the entire crop.
Let there be no mistake, 30-40 000 pounds of produce is nothing small. Selling at $1.50 per pound, a farmer can make at least EC$45 000, but the monkeys seem to be gaining far more benefit than the farmers themselves. After such a blow, one may wonder why Morton has not invested his time and money into something else. He explained that his commitment comes from a passion for his job and the role he has in ensuring food security.
And, with this love and determination for what he does, Morton has a few tricks up his sleeves to reduce the impact these monkeys have. Every other day, he rearranges a set of imposing objects, some that make noise and some that seem a threat to the monkeys.
According to him, it helps in disorienting them and confusing their bearings of the farm.
“It works for some time, but I need to keep doing it or they will get used to it, because they are smart,” he noted. He has tried numerous things: the monkey peanut trap; the monkey spot trap; getting guard dogs and even increased his presence on the farm. But, when the monkey outsmarts the traps, or the traps break and are not strong enough to hold the intruding monkey, or the dogs and the monkey become friends, the monkey emerges the winner, which is something no vegetable farmer wishes for.
“Once ago, they were selective with what they eat but now if man can plant it, monkey can eat it. They eat everything! I really don’t know what to do because monkeys can penetrate anything,” he cautioned.
Dominica’s mountain chicken, he added, is a huge frog. So, there should be no problem putting monkey on the menu. He said persons may have concern of how close monkeys are said to be to humans, but stressed that it can be introduced as an exotic meat and might even be part of the national dish.
Veteran farmer Warrington Grant hinted that farmers are feeling the effects of the monkey because of massive clearing of sugar cane lands.
“When we had a lot of sugar cane lands, the monkeys would come down from the forest, fill their bellies and go back. Since, there are very few cane fields, they are now on the hunt for vegetation. Now, they are being fed on farmers’ produce. And since there are few cane fields, they can spot cultivated lands from a distance,” he said.
Grant elected to breed guard dogs. Today he has about 12 and, unlike Morton’s case, these dogs have been producing “fantastic results”. But, it wasn’t always this easy for Grant. In fact, although he is trained in general agriculture and has the backing of over 50 years, finding a solution to the monkey problem was truly baffling. It was so grave that he had to hire a licensed gunman just to kill monkeys. In some cases he sold the meat and in other cases he would skin the monkey and display it to deter other primate intruders.
Now his fruits are making their way to the market and store shelves. He suggests that forest rangers be deployed in order to regulate the population and movement of the monkeys.
Vincentian Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of the Caribbean Farmers’ Network (CAFAN) and representative of the Eastern Caribbean Trading Agriculture and Development Organisation said the top priority should be reducing the monkey population. In his most-recent visit to the island, Greene visited a number of farmers whose primary concern was the threat posed by a growing monkey population. If not immediately addressed, according to Greene, this problem could begin to undermine progress made toward food security.
“You have to begin looking at a sterilisation programme to reduce the population of monkeys... it is too much for the size of the island. And, even with that, you need to have a monkey reserve, which would be an area(s) with a lot of fruit trees. This can also work as a tourist attraction.”
He further suggested that farmers should clear the lands immediately bordering their farms, as it is noted that monkeys do not usually move in the clear. He however cautioned that having loosed dogs on the farm may contaminate products and urged for animals not to have access to the crops.
“Monkey meat is a delicacy in many countries and, scientifically, there is nothing wrong with monkey. Just as there are exotic meats and wild meats, monkey can be put on the menu. This will reduce the population of monkeys”.
A Cuban consultant was on island and is working closely with the Department of Agriculture to craft the best decision to address the monkey population. Until his report is made public, farmers must continue to find creative ways to deal with the monkey problems as the food security of the nation depends heavily on them.
