EDITORIAL – Do what’s best for agriculture

A publication entitled “Best Practices in Green Monkey Deterrence: A
Manual for Farmers in Barbados” has of late been produced by the
Biodiversity Conservation and Management Section of the Ministry of
Environment and National Beautification, to aid local farmers in their
fight against the green monkey population, which has been damaging and
destroying their crops.

It is said that the action has come about due to a spike in complaints
last year from farmers about crop damage caused by these monkeys.

According to the Barbados Government Information Service, various
stakeholders from biodiversity conservation agencies, animal rights
groups, agriculture development agencies and tourism management were
assembled to chart a way forward and develop an action plan that was
informed by accurate data. However, it was agreed that in the interim,
there needed to be some short-term measures to address the immediate
problems faced by citizens, especially those farmers who were impacted
and the residents of areas frequently visited by green monkey troops.

Further, the Ministry of Environment commissioned Justin Springer of
Mosaic Ecoconsult to develop a manual for farmers, with the aim of
providing information for those experiencing crop losses. The manual
at present consists of a review of techniques used both locally and
internationally to deter monkeys from raiding cultivated foods.The
goal is to describe methods that farmers can use to reduce monkey crop
damage, and not methods to reduce monkey numbers. It has been
seemingly left up to farmers to choose the measures which they prefer.

However, there is still a view that in the interest of crop
production, something needs to be done about the burgeoning monkey
population in Barbados. Some persons still believe that there should
be a bounty on monkey tails, because humans need to eat and the
monkeys are making it hard to do so.

To some, slaughtering monkeys may seem a bit harsh. Some people do not
see the monkeys as a threat to food security. However, those who have
their fruit trees raided or their farm grounds dug up and paraded on
by these creatures, know full well the damage monkeys can do.

It must be really hard for farmers to lose their investment, the
majority of their crops, to monkeys. All that labour down the drain
and nothing to show for it. Now, with many more persons into backyard
farming, likely a positive spin-off from the COVID-19 pandemic, more
people may feel the way frustrated farmers feel when getting ready to
reap what they have sown, only to find that the monkeys have beaten
them to it.

So in the interest of food security and to show we are truly serious
about agriculture in this country, we must find a happy medium between
maintaining a decent monkey population and also ensuring they do not
become too much to handle, thereby posing a threat to our agricultural
sector. This is no time to be monkeying around on such a serious
matter. Let’s do what is best for agriculture.