COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH

(Part 2 of 2) Last week’s article examined some of the issues and vulnerabilities associated with the H5N1 Avian Flu virus and the possible threat of a pandemic this virus presents to the world. In Grenada, the free roaming practices of chicken farming presents a number of risks if the avian flu reaches the shores of the tri-island state.
Part two is examining an economic alternative that can provide Grenada with a substantive buffer in the event that such a disaster occurs. The alternative is found in developing a practice already common in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. In rural areas, such as Carriacou, it is not uncommon to see a local farmer walking down the street carrying a large green iguana by its tail; a lizard destined for the dinner table.
For some of us, the thought of eating an iguana may not seem very appetizing, but for many this barrier does not exist, and for those who require adjusting to the concept, iguana meat is reportedly just as tasty as chicken, and can be used as an effective substitute for most chicken dishes.
Although commonly hunted in the wild, farming this endangered species is a relatively new practice that has been pioneered in Central America. Farming practices that have been developed there have shown that farming iguanas can produce ten times the amount of meat per hectare than cattle (making it significantly more viable for small scale farming). They have also proven to be far less labour intensive to raise, and have many other beneficial side effects, such as forest protection which can help Grenada handle other disasters which require forest cover as a first line of defence; such as flooding and landslides.
Iguana farming is quite simple in practice. It involves raising hatchlings for approximately 7 months, and then releasing them to forested areas. The fattening and maturing of the animals can be sped up using feeds such as broken rice, meat, bone, fish meal, papayas, mangoes, bananas, avocados, leaves and flowers. In addition to meats, the eggs are edible and the juvenile iguanas can often be sold as pets.
To date, iguana farming has been pioneered in Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. Should the practice of iguana farming get established here in Grenada, doing so would result in repopulating an indigenous species that has been hunted near to extinction; provide income and meat for farmers and local markets in the event of the arrival of the avian flu; and protect Grenada’s forest cover by promoting forest based farming of iguanas and fruit bearing trees.
Count your chickens before they hatch: Iguanas are low fat, low cost, environmentally friendly and bird flu free.