Farmers get behind ‘buy local’ push for Christmas

Ahead of a festive season surge in demand for home-grown pork, poultry and eggs, the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) is rolling out an aggressive “buy Bajan” campaign aimed at weaning consumers off imported alternatives.

At the heart of the initiative is a robust push that will initially champion the pork industry before expanding to encompass eggs and poultry over the coming year.

But BAS President Henderson Williams was also upbeat about prospects for adequately supplying produce as the year draws to a close, saying farmers were “on the ball”.

He said: “You can expect to get that fresh, local pork on your plate for Christmas morning.” 

Speaking on the roadmap for his new term leading the Pig Farmers Association, Williams outlined a clear vision for farming’s future.

Flanked by incoming Egg and Poultry Association president William Brathwaite and veteran Beef and Dairy Producers president McDonald Stevenson, Williams urged absolute unity across all farmers. The goal is to present a united front to the public and to policymakers alike.

“Our view is that we need to have the Barbados Agricultural Society functioning as a very cohesive unit across the spectrum,” Williams said. “We recognise the importance of Barbadians getting a real good feel of our local cuisine, and getting a good feel of what goes into our local production. We will be engaging with all Barbadians to help them understand what is required.”

A main feature of the new initiative is the rollout of a dedicated branding campaign designed to highlight what the BAS says are the superior quality and health benefits of Barbadian meat. By making pork a prominent feature of the national diet once again, the agricultural society hopes to address growing concerns regarding the influx of imported meats.

The rationale behind the push is rooted in both public health and economic stability. The farming leaders drew a contrast between freshly reared domestic livestock and imported goods. 

“When we look at jobs, the economy, and the lack of preservatives in our local meats, we realise that we simply cannot guarantee those same health and safety standards when we deal with imports,” the farming spokesman said. His comments reflected concerns within the farming community about the long-term impact of relying on foreign supply chains to feed the nation.

He said: “Our ‘buy local’ campaign will help Barbadians to understand the importance of saving Barbadian jobs, and the importance of the value in terms of the quality that you get from fresh products. We need to do every single thing we can to support every local farmer.”

With Christmas on the horizon, preparations are already underway to ensure that supply can meet the traditional spike in demand, the BAS said. A specialised marketing committee, spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture, has begun talks to coordinate the supply chain for pork, poultry and eggs. Early projections for the season are optimistic, according to the farming officials.

Unlike poultry, which benefits from a relatively short turnaround time, pork operates on a much longer and more resource-intensive production cycle. Despite these challenges, the BAS expressed confidence in farmers’ ability to deliver.

“The horizon looks very promising in relation to pork as well as poultry for the Christmas season,” Williams said. “Our process is a lot longer in terms of production, so it is a longer cycle, but our farmers are ready.”

(RR)