The island’s farmers have reaped the rewards of favourable weather, with some farms offering an array of in-demand produce for the holidays — but an “epidemic” of feral chickens continues to plague the industry.

Tom Wadson, of Wadson’s Farm, gave his harvest a passing grade when he spoke to The Royal Gazette.

The Southampton farmer added: “It’s prime time now and we’re offering for sale about 35 varieties of items.

“It’s going fairly well, although it could be a lot better.”

The Christmas season delivered reliable rainfall, but a familiar pest was out in force to eat into the gains.

Mr Wadson said feral chickens posed a constant menace to his fields.

“These wild chickens are absolutely causing havoc to our crops,” he said. “I just lost 8,000 bok choi plants in the space of four hours.

“The chickens just yanked them right out — we have a real problem with them eating the crop.”

The roaming birds, which peck the buds of vegetables before they can grow, have been a perennial headache for farmers since the 1980s, despite a battle plan announced in 2012 to eradicate them in three years.

Mr Wadson said: “It needs to be dealt with and it is not being dealt with. “This is a serious food security issue.”

Roland Hill Jr, the owner of J&J Produce in Warwick, reported that consumer demand for his produce was running high.

He said: “Business is doing OK — a lot of stuff is being sold, but it’s a bit slow for some.”

The farmer was marketing fresh produce on Saturdays in Devonshire and Warwick, but with the approach of Christmas he began doing a brisk trade during the week.

Mr Hill said while people had snapped up various quantities of vegetables such as broccoli, string beans and cauliflower, he noted a high demand for carrots, a Christmas favourite, which the vegetable occasionally in short supply in recent weeks.

Speaking just before Christmas, he said: “We shouldn’t run out of supplies any more, and the carrots are fresh and ready to use.”

Mr Hill said a shortage of the vegetable had been a knock-on effect from the impact of Hurricane Ernesto in August.

Crop-friendly wet weather has dominated forecasts in recent weeks, as evinced on Boxing Day.

Michelle Pitcher, the director of the Bermuda Weather Service, said the island now bore the brunt of cold fronts sweeping off the US East Coast from December through March.

She said: “Low-pressure systems also travel along the Gulf Stream, between the US and Bermuda, sending cold fronts through our area.”

Ms Pitcher said cooler sea surface temperatures in January and February brought “our coolest” temperatures on land.

She said January’s average high would typically hover at 70F (20.5C), with the month’s average lows at about 61F (16.1C), and February dipping slightly colder.

She said rainfall recorded from December through March stood at 4in to 5in per month — average for the time of year.

Ms Pitcher added: “Sometimes we do experience strong cold fronts that dip our temperatures towards ten degrees Celsius. These can also bring small hail if the showers are heavy enough.”

Mr Wadson’s troubles with chickens attacking his plots were echoed by Mr Hill, who said: “Something needs to be done about them.”

He said that, six weeks ago, he lost two crops of kale to the birds — an investment of approximately $10,000.

Chickens ravaged 5,000 of the plants, which usually grow over a seven-month cycle.

Mr Hill said: “It’s terrible and it’s an everyday encounter. We’re in trouble because these chickens are like an epidemic.”

Mr Hill said some farmers set traps for the birds but noted that advocates had been destroying them.

Mr Hill said other crops were falling victim to guinea pigs and rabbits, adding: “It’s a constant battle with the animals.”

The Gazette contacted the Government on the issue.

In March, Walter Roban, the Minister for Home Affairs, acknowledged in the House of Assembly that the birds presented a serious problem for agriculture.

He added: “Yes, there is a culling which is done, and often people hear the shooting. That is a necessary activity, as unpleasant as it may seem.”

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources website, the population of feral chickens on the island is estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000.

The DENR said the birds should never be fed or otherwise encouraged by residents.