Secrecy ‘could cripple’ poultry industry as Christmas concerns mount

With Christmas just weeks away amid fears of a looming poultry shortage, Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) James Paul appealed for transparency and collaboration in the farming community, warning that secrecy and poor communication risk worsening shortages and undermining public confidence.

He said there needs to be open communication and pragmatic solutions to prevent further disruptions while safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers.

“Producers who have difficulty at the moment in meeting the market needs that they are accustomed to meeting have to come forward and indicate in no uncertain terms what the issues are and what assistance they require in order to solve the issues they are facing,” Paul told Barbados TODAY.

He cautioned that downplaying the supply challenges could lead to misguided policy responses and economic fallout. He likened the situation to the proverbial boy who cried wolf, adding: “If you keep on saying to persons: ‘Oh, we’re on track, we’re going to do it, it’s going to happen,’ you can engender policy responses on the part of the government, which we in the sector would not like to see.”

Barbadians have been voicing increasing concern over potential shortages of poultry, a staple on Christmas dinner tables. While Paul acknowledged the issue’s seriousness, he assured the public that solutions exist and that the agricultural community remains resilient.

“Agriculture is not dying. Interest in agriculture is very strong,” he said, citing increased investments by individuals despite economic challenges.

To support smaller farmers, the government has allocated $2 million to assist with infrastructure expansion, particularly for poultry producers. Paul stressed the importance of this initiative, noting that many small farmers lack access to traditional financing.

“These are small people who cannot go into the bank and get a loan,” he explained. “But these are people who are making significant investments in expanding their poultry production. The $2 million fund that has been placed with the BAS, we are using that to assist small farmers—especially the farmers like pig farmers and, more importantly, your poultry farmers, expanding the houses.”

Paul underscored the importance of protecting the poultry industry from the potentially harmful effects of unregulated imports.

“We are at a very delicate stage in our local poultry industry,” he said. “What I am most concerned about is that we do not go to a situation where we allow unregulated imports to come to this country and jeopardise the livelihood of poultry farmers.”

Paul acknowledged the complexity of the issue, noting that both insufficient and excessive imports could pose risks. “Of course, it could be too little importation also, too. But I really think that we should not overreact to the point where we have too much importation as a result of it.”

Despite widespread concern, the BAS head sought to put the situation into perspective, arguing that it does not yet constitute a crisis.

“Let’s cut it on two levels,” he said. “Yes, it might have been challenging that the [poultry] stock levels are relatively low in some cases or whatever. But as you can see, there are some Barbadians who are still eating poultry every day.”

He pointed to reports from some restaurants that have managed to maintain steady supplies. “I have been at restaurants around Barbados… I’ve also met some restaurants around Barbados that have indicated that they don’t have a problem; they never had a problem in all this so-called shortage,  they did not have a problem in terms of obtaining their regular supplies of poultry.”

Paul acknowledged disparities in access, acknowledging that some establishments and consumers have faced difficulties. “The needs, yes, are being met in some areas, and in some areas, they are not being met. But it does not mean to say that there has been a wholesale failure on the part of the industry.”

When pressed for a timeline on when poultry supplies might return to normal, Paul was reluctant to commit.

“I cannot give you a timeline,” he said. “Because previous timelines have been set based on what was given to me, and that did not turn out. So I would not on this occasion put my neck on the block for somebody to say, ‘I am responsible for something’. All I can do is report on what was said to me.”

Despite this, Paul remains optimistic about the long-term future of the sector. “I do believe that we do have the answers,” he said. “This is not a crisis; it’s a challenge—but one we can overcome together.” (RG)