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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (SKN TIMES) – A storm is brewing in the heart of rural St. Kitts, where the heavy hand of bureaucracy has trampled on the life’s work of a humble livestock farmer—leaving behind dead animals, broken fences, and a family in anguish. This is not just a case of land mismanagement—it is a case of blatant injustice, intimidation, and institutional abuse.

After more than 20 years of dedicated farming, one local farmer is now facing a heartbreaking eviction—despite having a valid lease on the government-owned land he has cultivated and nurtured for decades.

The farmer’s daughter, who sent an emotional plea to the SKN Times newsroom, described the ongoing ordeal as “a shameful attack on the dignity and livelihood of a man who has fed this nation from his own hands.”

The Facts: A Tragedy of Bureaucratic Brutality

• Three acres of the farmer’s leased land were secretly sold without notification. When he found out, he didn’t protest—he simply requested that his fencing be restored.
• The buyer, unsatisfied with the first grab, wanted more. Shockingly, the Permanent Secretary (PS) of Sustainable Development sold additional land—again without notice to the farmer.
• What followed was nothing short of vandalism: fencing was torn out, livestock escaped, and some were found dead.
• Heavy machinery was brought in, clearing sections of the farm without the courtesy of a formal conversation.

And if that wasn’t enough…

Eviction by Deception

On July 21, 2025, the farmer was handed a 6-day eviction notice—a cruel and sudden blow. The letter laughably claims he had been notified by hand one year prior in July 2023, a statement flatly denied by the farmer and his family.

Worse yet, the same letter promises relocation assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture—but they too admit they have no land to offer livestock farmers unless more is made available by the Ministry of Sustainable Development—the very office accused of orchestrating this land seizure.

Disrespect in Broad Daylight

According to the daughter’s statement, officials entered the land unlawfully, violating the farmer’s rights and disrupting his daily operations. The PS himself reportedly stormed into the farmer’s workplace and berated him in front of his staff, a humiliating and utterly unprofessional act that has left the family shaken and enraged.

Despite a heartfelt letter sent by the daughter to Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew in March 2024, begging for his intervention, no assistance has been forthcoming.

The People Demand Answers

How can a senior public servant casually disregard legal leases and show such brazen contempt for a citizen’s livelihood? Where is the compassion? Where is the rule of law? Where is the leadership?

This case highlights a dangerous precedent—where farmers are being bullied off their land, and government power is being wielded like a wrecking ball, with zero regard for due process or human decency.

The family is now calling on the Prime Minister, the Ombudsman, and civil society to investigate this injustice and hold the PS and Ministry officials accountable for what they are calling a cold, calculated campaign to destroy a farmer’s life’s work.

“This is not just about land. This is about justice, dignity, and respect for our fathers, our elders, and the backbone of our food system,” the daughter declared.

SHARE THIS STORY. STAND UP FOR OUR FARMERS. STOP THE ABUSE.