Agriculturalist Keith Laurie is calling for speedy action to prevent a cow itch disaster in Barbados come January.
Laurie expressed concern about the alarming amount of cow itch vines growing across the island, but mainly in parts of St John and St Thomas.
“Previously, there was the odd vine growing on the edge of the canefields but in areas such as Cherry Grove, Todds and Henley, the vines are rampant and cover acres upon acres of land,” he said.
“In January, when the pods start to shed their hair, those people are going to have to get out of there.?That place is going to be uninhabitable.”
However, residents of Cherry Grove and Henley, reported that they did not have any major problems with cow itch until it was cane harvesting time.
At Henley, Nolan Padmore and Kevin Cherubin said that the community never experienced any problems until the use of mechanical harvesters to cut the canes.
Here, Davidson Padmore (foreground) along with Cherubin and Nolan Padmore (partly hidden) walking through a canefield at Henley, pointing out cow itch vines.
