Things are looking up for local poultry producers, now that business is increasing, according to the President of the Bahamas Poultry and Egg Producers Association Bruce Hanson.
The producers earlier this year reported that their businesses were teetering on the verge of collapse but the situation apparently has been reversed.
Some of them are now offloading their entire stocks, Mr. Hanson said. However, he could not give specific figures.
“Sales are up,” he said. “Where as before we could not sell all of our production, now we can.”
Almost two months ago, the desperate poultry producers begged the government to intervene, to put an end to the illegal wholesale importation of chicken.
In sharp contrasted to the previous three to four years when we inevitable had large inventory of unsold product because of the volume of imports permitted into the country,” said Mr. Hanson.
After highlighting their frustrations, some of the local poultry producers expressed their appreciation for the efforts, which were taken by the Minister of Agriculture V. Alfred Gray to alleviate some of the problems.
Minister Gray’s policies unfortunately cannot resolve all immediate problems that were created over recent years, however they have restored confidence in an industry which was on the brink of dissolution,” he said.
Poultry producers say they now feel that with this new environment and improved market conditions, the industry can expand through new investment opportunities to increase output, diversify product base and enhance the value added component to local products.
According to Mr. Hanson, the poultry industry was placed in the dilemma back in 1998, when the government reduced the tariffs on broiler meat.
This, he said, opened the door to cheaper imports, mainly leg quarters. “Bahamian importers were able to purchase at prices below production costs. In essence, leg quarters became a by- product of the United States broiler industry and had the potential to disrupt the market conditions for producers throughout the Caribbean and The Bahamas.”
But all is not well for Gladstone Farms, Mr. Hanson said. He said that the poultry industry still has concern about its future.
“The industry as a whole is very pleased with the return to a normal stable situation,” Mr. Hanson said. “It will still be very difficult for Gladstone Farms because we suffered so much in recent years.”
