NASSAU, Bahamas — The Government has not cut food security funding by 50 percent but is instead reallocating financing to a $15m project designed to make The Bahamas self-sufficient in egg production, a Cabinet minister has revealed, The Tribune reported on Monday, February 27, in an article written by Business Editor Neil Hartnell.
Clay Sweeting, minister of agriculture, marine resources and Family Island Affairs, revealed to Tribune Business that the ‘Golden Yoke’ initiative – which is due to launch today – is aiming to take domestic Bahamian egg production from 700,000 per year to 28m when complete and fully operational.
Suggesting that it would slash The Bahamas’ estimated $1bn food imports by around 1 percent, he explained that it will involve the provision of “climate smart grow houses” in both New Providence and the Family Islands to help create a sustainable domestic agriculture niche.
And, while the Government is seeking to provide the “enabling” environment, Mr Sweeting emphasised that it was not seeking to take over domestic egg production itself. Rather, he added that management and operational responsibility for the units will be “contracted out” to private farmers, who will also oversee egg sales to food distributors, wholesalers and retailers themselves.
Mr Sweeting spoke after the mid-year Budget, tabled in Parliament last week, revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs’ recurrent Budget allocation of $6.149m for food security – a topic much-discussed by the Davis administration as being among its key priorities – has been cut by more than 50 percent, shrinking by $3.098m to some $3.051m.
These monies appear to have been reallocated to the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), which has seen its subsidy expanded by $2.081m to $7.081m, and the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), whose taxpayer support has been expanded by $1.15m to $7.626m.
It was unclear from the raw numbers whether responsibility for food security is being partially transferred these two agencies, but Mr Sweeting said this was the case – at least with BAIC – with which his ministry is teaming up on the ‘Golden Yoke’ initiative.
“Some of the funding we are utilising for the Golden Yoke project, which is in partnership with BAIC,” he told this newspaper. “It will probably be that allocation. It’s going to be a $15m egg project which will help to sustain The Bahamas at 100 percent egg production by the time that is completed. Some of the money we are utilising will be to assist that.
“None of our budget for funding food security has been reduced. The Government, especially the Prime Minister are very serious about food security…. We’re starting this project initially with funding from this Budget, and it will continue with the next Budget.”
Asserting that his ministry and associated agencies have been working intensely on developing the Government’s approach to food security, Mr Sweeting added: “Right now we produce 700,000 eggs country-wide. This project, when it’s completed, will provide over 28m eggs per year in-country.
“We would start with seven grow houses in New Providence, and expand to the Family Islands. Those in New Providence will be climate smart units, and will be contracted out to the farmers to run them. The Government is not going to run them.
“We are providing the environment for farmers to be successful. It will be similar to other countries where they are contracted out to farmers to manage the facility, and they sell the eggs to distributors in-country. At the end of the project, we should reduce imports by 1 percent.”
Mr Sweeting also disclosed that the Government has provided financing to BAIC for the acquisition of a new animal feed mill. “We ordered a new feed mill, and sent the funding to BAIC. They have charge of that. They have carriage of that,” he explained.
See complete article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2023/feb/27/govt-targets-15m-egg-self-sufficiency/
