The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

An Abaco-based poultry producer said yesterday its production had dropped 20-25 per cent over the past 18 months because some Bahamian wholesalers simply did not want to “play ball” and buy local.

Lance Pinder, operations manager at Abaco Big Bird, welcomed the announcement by V. Alfred Gray, minister of agriculture and marine resources, that the Government will from March 1 re-implement the permit system for wholesalers seeking to import poultry.

Mr Gray said the Government, while not yet making it mandatory, was encouraging buyers to purchase 30 per cent of their poultry locally. He added that $30 million worth of chicken is imported into the Bahamas each year.

Mr Pinder told Tribune Business that renewing the permit policy was an important and necessary intervention by the Government, as some Bahamas-based food wholesalers “just do not want to play ball”.

“Over the last year-and-a-half we been having a lot of problems with sales, and our production has gone down about 20-25 per cent over that period,” he said.

“The only thing that has saved us is the fact that the fuel has come down a bit. Our processing crew has lost about 30 per cent of their work because they only work when they process chicken and package it.

“We have lost three members of our staff that have been with us the last 20 years because they just didn’t have enough work. We really need that system put back in place. The system is really important for the domestic production because some people just do not want to play ball.”    

Mr Gray said yesterday that over the five years since the permit policy was last in effect, wholesalers have been allowed to import poultry meats and products into the Bahamas without first obtaining the necessary permission to do so.

Permits will be processed at the Department of Agriculture and Marine Resources, and should take no more than three days to be approved, according to Mr Gray.

“The Bahamas government wants to encourage those who are in the business of selling chickens and chicken parts, or other poultry products, to help the local industry,” said Mr Gray.

He added that there are only two poultry producers in the Bahamas at present, one in Abaco and the other in Grand Bahama.

Mr Gray added: “I would expect that those who want to purchass hundreds of cases will show us by receipts or otherwise that they have purchased 30 per cent of that amount in the Bahamas, and the permit will be issued for the other 70 per cent.

“I wish to encourage. I could make it mandatory but we are not starting with the mandatory position. It’s not going to be immediately mandatory unless I see people not supporting the industry.

“The Customs Department and the agricultural officers at the ports of entry will be very vigilant to ensure that wherever they release a container, a permit is presented showing the amount of chickens that are in the container, and then the agricultural officers will check to ensure the quantity

and quality etc,” the Minister added.

“We have information that some of these chickens that are sent to the Bahamas have been on ice for months, and we are trying to stop that. Some day soon we will not allow chickens older than two weeks to come into this country after they are harvested.”