The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

Jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FNM leader Michael Pintard claimed last night that the Davis administration has spent between $50m and $60m on the Golden Yolk programme, questioning what the country has to show for the investment as government officials say eggs from the initiative will reach stores by the end of the month.

Speaking at a rally, Mr Pintard said the programme had moved from $15m to $23m and now to about $60m. He said documents circulating from an internal report in the Ministry of Agriculture raised concerns about the project’s management and transparency.

“Where the Hell them eggs are today?” Mr Pintard said.

His comments came after The Nassau Guardian reported that the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation has begun harvesting eggs from the Golden Yolk programme’s layer chicks. BAIC executive chairman Darron Pickstock said Golden Yolk eggs will be in stores by the end of the month.

The Davis administration launched the $15m initiative in 2023 to boost domestic egg production and reduce reliance on imports. The project aimed to increase domestic egg production from 700,000 per year to 28m when fully operational. However, questions have persisted about when Bahamians will begin seeing the benefits.

Mr Pintard said one of the documents referenced the sale of diseased pig meat to the public. He also pointed to claims that eggs produced through the programme were being sold under a private company’s name.

“Their own internal report tells us that somehow they were producing very little eggs, but somehow the eggs were coming under somebody else's company's name," he said. "So they were commingling a private producer with a government programme, never disclosing how much money is being spent and on whose behalf."

“That's the kind of government we're dealing with, and this same Prime Minister want to talk about slush fund. The truth of the matter is, most of what they do is about hiding funds.”

The August 5, 2025 document was described as a confidential report on mismanagement, conflict of interest and public health risk associated with the Golden Yolk programme and agricultural import policies. According to the report, which was shared with The Tribune, a consultant affiliated with BAIC who was involved in the project’s early development said the initiative was intended to reduce reliance on imported eggs, stabilise domestic production and strengthen national food security.

The report said the consultant later compiled concerns about alleged conflicts of interest, lack of transparency, food safety accountability, misguided agricultural importation practices and overlap with foreign investment proposals.

It also raised concerns about pigs imported as part of government agricultural efforts, alleging that the animals were later found to have a disease affecting reproduction.

“The Ministry of Agriculture imported pigs that were later confirmed to carry a disease, causing stillbirths,” the report said. “These pigs were culled and sold to the public without disclosure of their health status.”

The report said no public advisory or internal notice was issued about the matter and added that some farmers could confirm the sales and that records should exist within the Department of Agriculture.

It also said that layer hens imported on February 19, 2025 for the Golden Yolk programme began producing soon after arrival. However, the report said the ministry never announced that eggs were being produced from the Golden Yolk chickens and suggested the eggs may have been sold under a private brand, raising concerns about the use of public resources.

Another document shared with The Tribune dealt with the project’s cost. A February 19, 2026 report sought approval for additional funding for civil and site works at the BAIC Golden Yolk Egg Production Plant. It said the original contract was awarded to Trade Winds Builders Co Ltd for $23,374,779, inclusive of VAT, with a ten percent contingency of $2,337,477.90 bringing the total original allocation to $25,712,256.90.

The report said civil works such as excavation, grading, drainage, paving and signage were not included in the original project funding. It said those additional works would require another $14,615,260, bringing the total project cost to $40,327,516.90. Approval was being sought from the Tenders Board and the National Procurement Board.

The report also raised concerns about a consultant connected to the programme, alleging that government-owned chickens were being housed on a private farm under the consultant’s control.

“Private stock has been intermingled with the Golden Yolk flock and eggs are being sold without proper brand identification or government oversight,” the report said.

The document said that arrangement was never publicly disclosed and raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

Government officials have previously defended the programme. In June 2025, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell said The Bahamas was the first country in the region to provide locally produced eggs for less than $10 during the recent egg crisis. When challenged by the Opposition, he defended the initiative and said several farmers had received egg layers through the programme and were selling eggs for less than $8 per dozen. He also said ten farmers recently received 1,000 eggs to resell for under $7.

Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting also said Opposition deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright was “misled” on the amount spent and maintained that while $15m was allocated for the entire project, not all of it was used.

Still, Mr Pintard questioned how many farmers had actually been empowered through the programme.