Bajans will have access to almost two containers of chicken wings from the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) before a two-month ban on imports goes into effect in a few days.
From early Tuesday morning, one day after Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Indar Weir announced a temporary suspension on the importation and sale of chicken wings and other poultry products by the BADMC from next Monday, Barbadians have been standing in long lines to purchase the popular Bajan item.
And when Barbados TODAY visited BADMC’s Princess Alice Highway location today, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Glendine Bartlett said since the announcement, wings have been selling so quickly that she doubted there would be any left by the end of the week.
“You are seeing the long lines because we are selling until the stock is exhausted. A lot of the customers have turned out to ensure that they get some. They figure this is the last lap so they are rushing to make sure they get the amount they want.
“We had up to two containers that we were trying to push off, which is over 2 000 boxes and about 26 pounds in a box. And right now we don’t know if we will have any left by the end of the week but by Saturday we will complete sales,” she said.
The lines stretched from the BADMC to as far as Courts Bridgetown, as persons patiently waited to purchase the chicken wings being sold at $132.25 per box.
Minister Weir explained that the move would create additional space in the domestic market for local poultry producers who are facing a situation where they have excess poultry in cold storage, as a result of reduced demand and consumption since the shutdown of the tourism industry.
Meanwhile, Bartlett said BADMC is also encouraging small businesses, as opposed to the large supermarkets, to purchase the wings.
“Before the end of the week, maybe by tomorrow we should be finished. I would hope that all the small shops and businesses can get some, but it is until the stock lasts,” Bartlett said.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
