BEPPA promises investigation into small farmers’ concerns about move against them

By Sheria Brathwaite

Several small farmers fear that their businesses could be in jeopardy as large players partner with the government to sell chicken at discounted prices, and have even questioned whether there is a deliberate move to push them out of the industry.

While President of the Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers’ Association (BEPPA) Stephen Layne does not believe there is any underhanded move to cut out the smaller players, he has promised his organisation will carry out a full investigation into the matter.

Following BEPPA’s annual general meeting on Wednesday, Barbados TODAY learned that many small farmers were struggling to keep their businesses afloat given continuous input increases such as fuel, feed and utilities. 

Painting a grim picture, they complained that when they did a cost analysis of their operations, their earnings were so thin that they were just enough to cover overheads, yet they had to maintain their competitiveness in the market to sustain cash flow. 

They expressed great concern about the survivability of their business, noting that the sale of cheaper chicken could put them further under pressure as their clientele could seek alternative supplies at a reduced rate they could not provide.

The small farmers also said the current situation felt like “deja vu” as it was similar to what occurred under the price compact between the government and private sector, and many of them could be forced out of the industry, which would allow certain producers to control the local market.

Layne said he did not believe there were ulterior motives in the larger players’ arrangement with the government, but his association would not dismiss the concerns of the small producers.

He said BEPPA would carry out an investigation and settle any disputes internally.

“I know that the smaller farmers have some real concerns about that and there are genuine concerns about their future and the relationship that they have with the bigger producers. It is something we have to address,” he said. 

“I would not dismiss it . . . but I don’t believe that the bigger producers in Barbados want to see the demise of the smaller farmer. In fact, it would not be in their interest to have that because the smaller farmer, even though he’s not a threat to them financially, has some political clout within the system. . . . There are a significant number of small farmers who are consumers as well as producers and, therefore they have value. Politically, they also have some value, so politicians can’t ignore them completely because of their numbers. They also invest significantly in the poultry industry in terms of spending money; they buy products to support their farms.”

Layne said he was getting several complaints about the business practices of large producers in the market but assured the matter would be examined.

“People are reporting to me that they fear that they will be disadvantaged in any arrangement going forward, especially as it relates to the larger farmers. But I don’t believe that we cannot deal with this. We will sit down with our larger farmers and our smaller farmers.

“I know that there’s a thought that is occupying the space within the poultry industry, that the bigger people want to take them out. I would not subscribe to that at this time. I don’t want to offend the small farmers and say that they’re not justified in [their thinking] but it is an area that we will sit down and talk to small farmers.

“If that is so [their allegations], we may very well have to talk to the higher-ups in the agriculture sector and within the political area as well. But I don’t see it that way at this time, and I certainly will have that conversation because it is out there and if it is out there, we need to address it,” the BEPPA head added.

Layne added that there were still “good players” within the sector.

“I would want to work with both sides to make sure that we don’t have [an us versus them situation] because we need each other to survive in this industry and to play the important role of food security in Barbados. So I believe that we need to concentrate on being as efficient as possible and providing the services that we need at the best possible cost,” the BEPPA head said.

Layne added that the association was in talks with the government for a while to see how the industry could be more efficient and, in turn, offer consumers a more attractive price.

However, he admitted that small farmers were between a rock and a hard place as they could not roll over the increased cost of production to consumers, even though they were making minimal profits.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb