Call for army to kill cows

THIRTEEN wild cows marauding in Orange Grove, Tacarigua have eaten an estimated $50,000 worth of crop from farmers in the area. Farmers have now called on the army to shoot the cattle.

This was disclosed yesterday when Newsday spoke to Ken Vieira a farmer in the area.

The cows have grazed their way through farmers’ patchoi, pumpkin, watermelon and corn crops.

“As it is getting dry, the cows don’t have grass to feed on, so they are eating the farmers’ crops,” Vieira said.

Vieira alleges the cows were released by a rancher in the area who owns cows, but does not want to claim them because he does not want to pay compensation for the damage they have caused.

The farmers have been liaising with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Praedial Larceny Squad but claim the ministry only offer excuses for not dealing with the hungry cows.

Vieira suggested having the army deal with the cows. In a similar incident in Cedros, the army was used to contain wild cattle by culling them.

Vieira remains exasperated by the lack of response.

“They keep on saying they need to go through due process to deal with the cows, but they don’t have an owner, so it should be easy,” Vieira said.

Newsday contacted Brent Zephyrine, senior corporate communication officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries to find out what the ministry intends to do about the cows.

In an email correspondence he said the “query has been forwarded to the relevant Ministry personnel, upon whose response, I shall apprise you accordingly.”

Up till press time, Newsday did not get an official statement on the cattle, but one of the farmers who fingers are pointed at said they do not belong to him but a farmers “who died two years ago.”