By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
AN Abaco poultry producer yesterday said that eliminating imports to support local producers could boost government revenues by $33 million annually, and create 1,000 direct jobs.
Lance Pinder, operations manager at Abaco Big Bird, told Tribune Business, however, that there are numerous challenges facing the agricultural sector that need to be addressed. His comments came after the minister of agriculture and marine resources, Renward Wells, last week said: “I am committed to putting in place in two years ‘no chicken imports’ into this country.”
The Minister told Parliament: “It is my intention to have Bahamians eat as much of their food from locally grown sources. This would allow us to eat food that is closer to its nutritional source, which is more beneficial and has the potential to reduce our national high level of non-communicable diseases.” Mr Wells also indicated his desire to increase the number of green houses producing fruits and vegetables.
Mr Pinder told Tribune Business that he welcomed the Minister’s remarks, saying the vision was “possible” and “certainly ambitious”.
“It would be a very good thing,” he said. “From a logistics standpoint I think it’s possible; it’s certainly ambitious. It’s always a good thing when governments talk about it, but the basic things that have impacted farming over the years are still there.”
Mr Pinder stressed that such a vision would require government’s full commitment, noting that the lack of a consistent agriculture policy has been one of the sector’s main challenges.
“That would require a big investment. People would need to have the confidence that government would actually implement such a ban,” he added.
Mr Pinder said the lack of farmers’ crop and livestock insurance, as well as s lack of available financing, were also challenges to the industry. “The local banks are not lending money. There are no financing options,” he explained.
“Right now we have been looking at solarising the farm. We have less than a 4 per cent debt to income ratio with our current lender. We can’t even borrow money to solarise the farm, and it’s a no brainer.”
Still, Mr Pinder said there were encouraging signs for the business, noting that the 22 year-old farm and primary Bahamian poultry producer has, for the first time in roughly six years, turned a small profit.
“We have a more positive outlook at the farm. This is the first year in about six years that the company has actually turned a small profit.
“We have actually hired a few more people. Our goal is to get away from having to have government intervene on our behalf,” he added.
Mr Pinder said the company is currently operating at only 80 per cent capacity, due to what he described as a “soft” Nassau market.
“We did the numbers, as the government is getting $100,000 more a year in taxes out of us versus if we shut down and they just got the 30 per cent tariff on imported chicken.
When someone buys a chicken from us the money stays in the country for about three weeks, versus if an imported chicken was purchased the money stays in the country about a week,” according to Mr Pinder.
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