The Tribune

AGRICULTURE, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting will lead a delegation to Jamaica to visit the 68th Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show.

The event will be held from July 25 to August 1.

According to officials, the event “is the oldest, largest and most dynamic Agricultural Show in the English-Speaking Caribbean and attracts over 80,000 patrons”.

“This is the first time the show is being held in two years and features include youth in agriculture, agricultural displays, children’s village and a health and wellness village,” Minister Sweeting said in a press statement yesterday.

“I am very excited that our team in the ministry, inclusive of technical officers, BAIC, BAHFSA and BAMSI, will be able to visit, experience and draw knowledge from such an event.”

The delegation will include officials from the ministry, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), the Bahamas Agricultural Industrial Corporation (BAIC) and the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA).

Chairman of BAIC Leroy Major said that the corporation looks to engage with investors during the week.

“This mission aligns with BAIC’s mandate and as the ministry’s commercial arm, our input in high level discussions with potential investors in the agriculture sector cannot be underestimated,” he said.

“With significant interest expressed in animal feed production, poultry processing, egg production and other agro-industrial enterprises, BAIC is well poised to contribute to discussions while balancing external interests and national development.”

Chairman of BAMSI Tyrel Young also spoke about the importance of the mission for the tertiary institution.

“BAMSI is looking to source new vendors, issue culture and other farming inputs,” Mr Young said. “Also, we are looking to partner with local Jamaican entities in the processing industry, industrial farming industry and poultry farming industry to possibly engage in Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) for the training of BAMSI staff in these areas.”

“This will widen the experience and knowledge of our extension officers, which will allow BAMSI to be the trainers – as we should be – to farmers and processors in regards to these sectors.”

During the week, the delegation is also expected to visit poultry farming facilities such as Caribbean Broilers and Jamaica Broilers.

Minister Sweeting explained that the government is looking to revitalise the country’s poultry industry.

“The poultry industry is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sub-sectors, especially in developing countries, with an expected growth rate of 15 percent by 2027. There is a huge market for poultry products in The Bahamas that has been untapped for years, but can be revitalised.”

“Chicken is a mainstay of the national diet in this country. They are relatively easy to raise, however, we only domestically produce around five percent of our consumption. The Bahamas was once 100 percent self-sufficient in table eggs and we had a thriving broiler as well. It is important that as a government we provide policies to encourage growth in this sub-sector. However, we also need the support and want to encourage private development investment to revive the industry. It is important that we are direct with our approach to feed ourselves and to create opportunities simultaneously.”

The minister noted that Jamaica is one of the Caribbean countries that has developed a robust poultry sector with a significant investment in the industry.

“The poultry industry in Jamaica contributes between 15 and 20 percent of the Agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). It creates directly and indirectly economic activity and livelihood for over 100,000 persons and is a major alleviator of unemployment in the rural areas,” Minister Sweeting said.

“Our Caribbean counterparts such as Jamaica have done extremely well, and we hope to replicate a model similar to their poultry structure in The Bahamas.”