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Pig farmers in Riverton City, St Andrew, say they are not feeling the Christmas festivity, after being robbed numerous times earlier in the year.

Pointing to their most recent setback, the farmers say that they have suffered major financial losses after the majority of their pigs were stolen in October.

Junior McKay told THE STAR that he has been raising pigs for more than 15 years.

In October, he lost 79 pigs after strangers raided his sty, stealing and killing pigs that were left to rot.

"If me did have dem hog deh now, me woulda a look pon $1 million and nuff! The least a J$1.2 million cause hog a sell fi more than that now. Me woulda nice yah now wid dem hog deh! Me coulda go buy a seven-seater! Me a fi just start back from square one again," he said.

McKay says he's not just upset about the pigs he lost. He is furious at the fact that he spent a lot of money to raise them, and now it seems like all of that was in vain.

"And yuh done know seh the things weh we buy fi dem nuh cheap. Dem deh money deh weh me spend pon dem fi bring them to a certain size gone dung di drain. But me caa stop same way," he said. "Nuh true we live yah suh ... a nuh yah suh man wah stay. Man wah go pon the hill ... man wah go buy a house some weh! Me a throw NHT too ... offa the same hog business yah!"

a sombre Christmas

Another pig farmer, Patrick Edwards, is also having a sombre Christmas this year, after he lost the majority of the pigs he was preparing for sale.

"Me nuh see nuh Christmas this year. Me nuh really lose whole heap like some people, but me still lose some a me hog. It affect me cause me nuh have nuh hog now fi sell. Me did a look fi have a 20 hog fi sell yah now. Fi di year me deh yah suh a work and now me caa mek back a $1 million ... it nuh mek nuh sense! Man a watch your ting and a thief your ting dem," he said.

Adding that this is not the first time they are being robbed, Edwards says they have been forced to sell pigs much earlier than planned in previous years.

"Sometime you afi a try sell out your things dem from early and yuh nah go really mek no money, because if dem grow and get bigger, yuh mek more money. Yuh afi a race and sell dem before people come thief dem. Is a good amount a money me woulda a look pon right ya now," he added.