A young farmer whose business struggled after a dispute with the Government is winding down his farm.

Malachi Symonds, of Just A Farmer, said the expense of planning permits and a delayed season made his dream job unsustainable.

He will finish most of the agricultural activity by the end of March.

“It’s easier to just close it down than to keep fighting,” he said.

“It has been demoralising, and it has been difficult because it isn’t easy.

“This was a passion project, but also a project that I knew Bermuda could use moving forward. But it’s just not worth it.”

Mr Symonds added: “Some people have said ‘what if we raise the money’, but it’s just not worth it any more.

“There’s always another brick wall and something else to climb over.”

The Ministry of Public Works, however, said that it had not received any formal notification from Mr Symonds that he could not pay, and added that the expense is less than anticipated.

When Mr Symonds built a chicken coop at his Devonshire farm last year, it was deemed an “unauthorised structure” by the Department of Planning.

The department threatened to terminate his five-year lease on November 30 after just two years if he did not submit a planning application.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, met Mr Symonds after his story picked up significant traction over social media, and the ministry agreed to help the farmer lodge a planning application.

Mr Symonds said on Monday that he had to resubmit his application with requested changes, which would have cost him an additional $4,200.

He said that the amount of money he made from the farm would not be enough to cover the debt.

Mr Symonds added that because of the disagreement with the Department of Planning in October, he never had a chance to plant produce that would have been ready for harvest around this time.

“Here we plant with the seasons, so if you miss that season, then you’ve missed a whole lot of potential income,” he said.

“We wanted to put up greenhouses and a whole lot of other things to control my environment, but that’s a whole other planning issue.”

Mr Symonds added: “I charge $8 for a box of eggs, and profit-wise I might make $2 to $3 maybe.

“And because I haven’t been able to plant, because I was afraid the farm was going to get taken, I’m behind on that as well.

“This is all literally coming out of pocket.

“I have overheads to pay, workers to pay and a truck to fix. So it’s just not worth it.”

Mr Symonds said that the chicken coop and selling stands were the elements that made his farm the most profitable, but they also caused problems with the Department of Planning.

He said that he was grateful for the help he received to put together his planning application.

He added: “After they asked me for $4,200 just to revise that plan, I guess to put it on the architect’s desk, I feel like it’s not worth it.”

Mr Symonds said that he would sell off his produce and chickens over the next 60 days.

He added that he bought land in Costa Rica, where he hoped to move and revive his dream.

Asked about the property on Orange Valley Road, Mr Symonds said: “I’ll keep the farm running, but just as a single crop.

“I’m not going to try and continue to do anything extravagant or sustainable or cutting-edge any more because it’s frowned upon by the powers that be.”

He added that the amount of government red tape was what kept a lot of people, particularly young Bermudians, from starting their own businesses.

Mr Symonds said: “I think, truthfully, it just shows the close-mindedness of Bermuda.

“You have students who go away and come back with the intention to make positive change and keep Bermuda moving forward into the future in a positive way, and they’re met with red tape and policy and rules and regulations.

“I don’t think I’m the only one who’s felt this. I think there’s a few of us, and it might be more than a few of us.

“I know a lot of younger Bermudians that are studying are staying abroad, finding jobs elsewhere and finding ways to live in other countries.

“I guess my initial idea with Just A Farmer was to come back and try and change that by helping reduce the cost of living.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Public Works said that Mr Symonds’ planning application was not just for a chicken coop, but included several additional features including solar panels and expansion of parking.

She said that a revised invoice had been sent and that the application overstated the size of the building.

The spokeswoman said: “The Government is disheartened to learn of Mr Symonds's decision to close his farm.

“To date, the Ministry of Public Works, as landlord, has not received any formal notification from Mr Symonds and is learning about this via the media.

“The public will note that when Mr Symonds stated in the media that he ran into difficulty last year, various ministers and government departments sought to work with him to find a solution to his challenges.

“As a measure of goodwill, the Ministry of Public Works suspended the lease termination notice to allow Mr Symonds enough time to submit a retroactive planning application as required by law.

“Fast forward to today, Mr Symonds and the Government are at another impasse due to his unwillingness to pay a fee prescribed by law.

“This is regrettable, as ministry officials had tried to work to assist Mr Symonds in preparing and submitting completed retroactive applications.”

She added: “The Department of Planning can only act on the information submitted to it.

“The application that was submitted was just not for a chicken coop, as some have stated.

“It was for a coop, expansion of parking, solar panels and a new water tank and cesspit.

“According to the information submitted in the application by Mr Symonds, the fee for planning approval would have been $4,200.

“However, following this press inquiry and upon review, the application submitted overstated the size of the building, and the fee is, in fact, less.

“Given this fact, the department has sent a revised invoice to Mr Symonds.”

Vance Campbell, the Minister of the Cabinet Office, added: “This government remains dedicated to creating a supportive and collaborative environment for farmers while ensuring that regulations are complied with, and I would urge Mr Symonds to contact the Department of Planning or myself rather than trying to adjudicate this matter via the press.

“The Premier has tasked me with making the Department of Planning more user-friendly, and that is what I will do.

“However, it is hard to help if we are notified of issues via the media rather than directly.”