Chicken farm facing demolition

Senior Multimedia Reporter

radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Chicken farmer Anthony Cornwall hopes to alleviate T&T’s egg shortage by rearing 14,000 layers in time for the Christmas season. However, the father of four says his farm has allegedly been earmarked for demolition because it is erected on land owned by a state company.

Cornwall, of Lowkie Trace, Penal, said on Friday, an unmarked SUV with flashing lights and a siren pulled up outside his farm and masked men with guns emerged. Without showing any eviction notice, the men told Cornwall he had to start selling his birds and dismantling his pens.

“They told me they’re coming to break down everything on Monday if I don’t get rid of the birds,” he said.

Cornwall said the men told him he had to start paying money to a company because he was occupying their land.

“They showed no identification, and there is no evidence to suggest they were representing the company,” he said.

Video footage obtained by Guardian Media showed heavily armed men walking past the surveillance cameras as they spoke with Cornwall.

Cornwall, who admitted that he had built the pens on state lands, said he and his father had planted on the land for over 50 years. He said there are many more residents on the land.

“This land used to be Trintoc and then Petrotrin. I used to plant here with my father, and in 2019 I built my pens because things were hard and my house was burnt down,” he said.

Expressing concern about the future, Cornwall said he is worried about what will happen to his family if he loses his farm.

“Three of my children are in school—twins aged seven and a five-year-old. It is not easy thinking about this,” he said.

“Since these masked men came here, I have not been able to rest because I am in fear. If they mash down this place, I have nothing. I am asking the authorities to investigate this and do something to help us,” he pleaded.

Cornwall said six workers on his farm depend on him for work. “We work hard every day. We know the country has an egg shortage, and we’re hoping that when this batch of layers comes in, we can supply the nation with eggs by Christmas,” he said.

His worker, Rakeem Ashford, said the chicken farm has enabled him to care for his family.

“I have sent out my resume looking for work everywhere, and work is really hard to get. I work here on a shift, and there are five of us who take turns. If this farm closes, where else will we get work? I have a three-year-old to mind,” Ashford said.

Jlani Baptiste, another worker, said it was unfair that the farm was being targeted.

“There are a lot of other people occupying Heritage land, so why come after us?” Baptiste asked.

“When eggs start to pick up, more youths will get employed, and this will help the crime situation because people cannot find work.”

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