The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Prime Minister yesterday dismissed concerns over delays to the Government’s egg production Golden Yolk programme, insisting the initiative is now “off the ground” and forecasting that produce will be available by the end of April.

Speaking during a tour of agricultural facilities, Philip Davis KC said the project has faced setbacks but is now nearing completion with chicken houses almost ready and production expected to ramp up in the coming weeks. 

“Well, it’s off the ground. I guess the scrutiny is because of some of the delays we encountered in getting it to where it is. My grandparents always taught me it’s better late than never,  and we don’t have a never here,” said Mr Davis.

“As you can see, the houses are just about ready and complete. I’m advised that we should have eggs on the shelves by the end of April. We are expecting the chickens at the end of April, with 10,000 birds to be placed.

“They are very prolific, so we expect to produce about 8,000 eggs per day. The chickens are already in the country and have gone through what we call a vaccination and pruning programme to ensure they are free from pathogens and disease,” Mr Davis added.

“The packaging, which the minister of agriculture has developed with a new logo, will be biodegradable cardboard. It represents what we call organic free production. We won’t be using poly-18 hard plastic. Instead, it will be a brown cardboard box.

“We also have wood shavings on the ground, along with the operating systems - the feeders and drinkers - and what we call a climate-controlled house to maintain bird health. In terms of disease, the housing system is designed to be resilient.”

Justin Taylor, animal consultant for the Golden Yolk Programme, said 10,000 chickens have already been brought into The Bahamas and are undergoing final preparations ahead of full production with output projected at approximately 8,000 eggs per day once operations are fully underway.

He said the birds have completed a vaccination programme to ensure they are free from pathogens and disease, and the facility is equipped with climate-controlled housing, feeders and drinkers designed to safeguard bird health and maintain consistent production standards.

The Golden Yolk programme was launched in February 2023 with the Davis administration pitching it as a cornerstone of food security and self-sufficiency, aiming to slash The Bahamas’ food import bill by millions, boost local egg production from roughly 700,000 to an estimated 28m a year, and build dozens of climate-smart poultry houses across the islands.

However, the initiative has faced mounting criticism from the Opposition and agricultural advocates over apparent delays and costs, with deputy opposition leader, Shanendon Cartwright, questioning why millions of dollars have been spent without any eggs produced and critics arguing that funding could have been better targeted to existing local farmers to expand capacity.