The Tribune

A $10m poultry investor is aiming to grow domestic producers’ market share beyond the present “less than two percent” through supplying Bahamians with 30,000 fresh chickens per week.

Dr Allen Albury, the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies (BSGC) managing director, said it plans to rely on automation and generate 30 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources to ensure its project is cost competitive with foreign rivals.

Despite 150 million pound annual demand for white meat, he added: “The Bahamas produces less than two percent of the chicken it consumes annually. At the most basic level our proposed broiler business is about profit, but equally important is the goal of helping to feed our nation, reducing our dependence on food imports. It is very much about food security and becoming agriculturally self-sufficient as a nation.”

The Bahamas Striping Group of Companies proposes to establish its BSGC Broilers Production Farm via operations in Andros and Eleuthera, with a distribution depot in New Providence. It is aiming to process 30,000 whole, fresh chicken each week, grown in eight poultry houses for 35 to 42 days with weights ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 pounds.

The company has spent much time hatching its plans, performing market research, evaluating local growers’ strengths and weaknesses and calculating risks.

“Bahamians are becoming more conscious about what they consume in terms of food quality. The timing is right for a new entrant into the market that can deliver quality, fresh, healthier poultry products,” said Dr Albury.

“We believe we can establish a sustainable commercial enterprise; one that produces to scale. We intend to incorporate an integrated energy approach, one that draws at least 30 percent of its energy usage from renewables.”

He added: “We have already been in talks with qualified Bahamians working in the poultry industry abroad who are eager to return home. Furthermore, we intend to increase efficiency and reduce unnecessary labour costs through automated processes.”

Bahamas Striping is already in talks about sourcing equipment and poultry farming inputs – chicklets, feed and the like – although it has yet to make any sizeable investment in what is projected to be a $10m enterprise.

“There are several things we require from the government to shore up our investment. Currently, we have a legislative regime that does not favourably lend itself to local producers,” Dr Albury said.

“From the health standpoint we want to ensure that the standards for fresh poultry and frozen poultry are established according to international best practices, and that it is also being controlled at the border, ensuring that imports really are safe for consumption. We want bio-security measures to be standardised and we want every player to be held to the same standard.”

Bahamas Striping has held discussions with the government on the issue, and is pushing for the appointment of a chief veterinarian official to work with the Bahamas Bureau of Standards.

The prime minister, in his national address last week, unveiled plans to promote Family Island and rural development through “key” agriculture investment projects on several islands, particularly Andros, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama.

He added that the government is set to invest in strengthening agricultural infrastructure, facilitate farms’ access to power, water and cost-effective inter-island transportation inclusive of refrigeration.

“As a matter of urgency, we will increase access to credit and additional funding to Bahamians in this sector, while increasing the access of producers to local and international markets,” the prime minister pledged.

A Bahamas Striping team is expected to survey potential sites in Andros within weeks to identify a suitable base for its operations.

“We believe we can produce a fresher, healthier choice, steroid free, antibiotic free, no growth hormones,” said Dr Albury. “Even if we are slightly more per pound, we believe Bahamians will choose our fresh chicken versus chicken shipped into the country with an ambiguous kill date.”