Pig farmers to launch ‘Sousie’ following ‘strong’ Christmas output

After delivering strong output during the Christmas season, pig farmers are set to launch a brand, even as concerns persist about meeting national demand and competing with imported pork, their spokesman said Tuesday.

While unable to produce figures on 2025 production, Henderson Williams, president of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) and also the leader of its member association, the Barbados Pig Farmers’ Association, said farmers continued to perform well last year, building on the momentum generated over the previous years.

“The pig farmers have been doing reasonably well,” Williams said. “I think the challenge that is always on the table is, are we able to produce all that the Barbadian population requires in terms of pig production?”

The pig farmers are banking on a locally developed brand, Sousie, soon to be launched through the BAS, in a further bid to boost both production and consumption of homegrown meats.

“We have a brand that was started through the BAS, and you’re going to see products [such as] burgers and stuff,” Williams said. “You may have seen them at some events, but you’re going to see a bigger presence of Sousie in the marketplace, and that’s a local brand.”

He said the emphasis on processing and branding complemented solid production levels and remained critical to sustaining the industry.

“Yes, the production was good [for Christmas] and we want to have a situation where people continue to buy local … for Barbadians to recognise what is happening locally, for Barbadians to get involved and continue to support the local farmers.”

Williams explained the industry faced a balancing act between expanding output and stimulating demand, arguing that growth depended on encouraging farmers to move beyond primary production of fresh pork.

“We need to continue to do what we can do to encourage persons to produce and not only just produce, [but] also to have value-added solutions, the burgers, the pork sausages and stuff like that.”

There was a surge in pig farming across Barbados last year, with producer membership more than doubling as farmers sought to counter imported pork and grow domestic sales. 

Those efforts included closer collaboration with the hospitality industry and the introduction of new branding for fresh and processed pork.

Despite ongoing concerns about farmers struggling against cheaper imports, recent data point to rising output and renewed interest in Barbadian pork, driven by government loans facilitated through the BAS, product development and an influx of younger farmers.

In 2023, 30 975 pigs were slaughtered, and that figure increased by a further 1 257 in 2024. Williams said 2025 statistics were not yet available, but added that production so far remained on a positive footing.