Proper: Timely pork intervention, says farmers

President of the Barbados Pig Farmers Association (BPFA) Henderson Williams is commending Government for taking swift action to stabilize feed prices in Barbados.

Williams said Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s announcement during a press conference on the weekend that Government will be providing a subsidy of $2 million to the poultry sector in light of rising grain and corn prices internationally, was welcomed news to poultry and other animal farmers who have been under tremendous pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the majority of farmers who are already battling various operational challenges cannot afford to pay more for feed at this time.

Williams said: “I wanted to raise my congratulations and to laud the Prime Minister for her intervention in giving to the industry a subsidy of $2 million in the interim so that we can have some level of reasonableness in relation to the price of feed. Pig farmers would suffer as a result, and the ultimate consumer – the buyers of pork – would suffer by a price increase. I have never seen a situation where Cabinet responded so promptly to a matter like this.

“You must give jack his jacket and the Prime Minister moved quickly to put a subsidy in place as we seek to navigate the waters ahead. And yes, we have had subsidies in the past, but certainly, I thought it important on behalf of the Barbados Pig Farmers Association and the farming community, to say thanks to the Prime Minister for intervening”

He said Mottley’s word was also timely given the fact that the local feed producer recently indicated to farmers and other stakeholders that despite holding strain for some time it has seen the need to increase feed prices.

However, the president told Barbados TODAY that while the subsidy may be considered a short-term measure, the reality stands that there will be no major increase in feed prices at this time.

“If this did not happen,” Williams said, “the lone manufacturer of feed on island would have had to increase their prices. In the absence of the subsidy, pretty much that’s where we were going. So the subsidy now from Government will have kind of a stabilizing effect for the short-term where the prices will not go up and people will continue to buy feed at their regular prices.

“They are absorbing the increase of transportation costs and grain costs that are affecting the global market. It is a stop-gap measure, so as we go forward, we still need to look at what circumstances are in front of us and find resolutions to those matters.”

Williams also noted that as farmers face a general increase in operational costs, including high water bills, they must implement measures to ensure that there is business continuity.

He added that representatives of the pig farming industry have met with a local food manufacturing company to make a number of decisions that will give ease to farmers facing significant challenges.

“We need to come up with whatever solutions we can and to speak to the farmers to ensure that they are as efficient as possible in their operations so that their enterprises can continue, and that the public of Barbados can continue to get the same product, same quality, at a reasonable price.” (anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)