The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister has hailed the launch of an agriculture research and training centre as another step towards slashing The Bahamas’ annual $12.5m egg import bill.

Clay Sweeting, minister of agriculture, marine resources and Family Island affairs, said the creation of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute’s (BAMSI) Poultry Research and Training Centre will help to revive domestic poultry production amid high post-COVID food prices.

“Out of crisis, this administration saw an opportunity to revive our domestic poultry supply,” Mr Sweeting said. “Today is certainly a proud day for The Bahamas as it was just several weeks ago that we held the groundbreaking for the Golden Yolk project, and now we are here at BAMSI to launch another layer of our holistic overall egg production plan – the BAMSI egg academy Poultry Research and Training Centre.

“The academy will aid in creating a sustainable poultry production programme for The Bahamas. Some 3,800 birds will be housed in this enriched cage system. These birds will complement our egg production programme and are expected to produce an estimated one million eggs annually. Additionally, there will be free-range chickens that will also produce eggs.

“We expect that this poultry research and training centre will be able to offer tertiary-education opportunities for The Bahamas and the region, and provide real-world experience for those seeking to enter the lucrative business of poultry farming. Further, the Institute will hold poultry courses and seminars on layer husbandry, incubation, quality assurance methods and nutrition.”

With The Bahamas spending $12.5m per annum on imported eggs, as part of a “staggering” total $1bn food import bill, Mr Sweeting said the Government is “seeking to make a paradigm shift by making The Bahamas more food secure”.

He added: “We not only want to reduce our imports but we are hopeful that, in the near future, we can increase our exports as well. I have always believed The Bahamas has not tapped into its full potential with food production. This egg academy prepares us for the future.

“We know this is just one of the many programmes that BAMSI will continue to develop to enhance food security in our country. The Institute is also seeking to launch greenhouse parks in several islands, which will be able to produce healthy leafy greens year-round even under extreme weather conditions. BAMSI will be able to provide training for farmers wishing to use new technologies for more efficient farming. The profession of agriculture is truly limitless”

BAMSI, in a statement, said the layers programme includes some 500 Rhode Island Red Layer Chicks that were purchased in March. It is expected to produce an estimated 1.5m eggs annually, according to BAMSI executive chairman, Senator Tyrel Young.

“While the production of eggs is an important goal for us, our primary focus is broadening the scope of knowledge, experience and exposure for our students, farmers and agri-prenuers through the newly established Research and Training Centre,” Mr Young said. “As an extension of BAMSI College, the Centre will focus on the scientific, technical and business knowledge required to operate a poultry business on a successful scale.”

In preparation for the launch, the Institute has spent the last three months constructing a commercial-grade poultry facility equipped with environmental control systems. The facility is expected to give students the access needed to explore the process of egg production and poultry management.

From BAMSI’s perspective, the curriculum and training courses will be expanded to include poultry science and an examination of the commercial production of layers and breeders. “Not only will we be producing eggs, but the facility will operate as a classroom for our agriculture students and registered livestock farmers to learn about nutrition, reproduction, the physiology of the birds, processing technology and livestock management,” Mr Young said.

The layers programme will eventually be joined by a brooding facility, which will provide space for technical training and academic support for BAMSI students, licensed poultry farmers and agri-prenuers. Eggs produced through the initiative will initially be sold in New Providence and Andros, with extra poultry facilities expected to be constructed on other Family Islands before the end of 2023

Egg prices escalated at the start of 2023, with the cost of a dozen eggs hitting about $10. The Government’s goal is to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign imports, and Bahamians consume imported eggs which may be weeks or even months old. That often depletes the nutritional value and lessens the taste of the eggs, but BAMSI’s locally produced eggs are fresh.

“With global events having such a huge impact on our local market, our mandate becomes even more pressing,” Mr Young said. “BAMSI has a responsibility to address the issue of food security actively and adequately through as many channels at its disposal.

“Through the Poultry Research and Training Centre and the layers programme, we will be increasing the number of healthy eggs on the market, introducing Bahamian students to the science of poultry and poultry management, and we will be supporting the education and training of farmers and agri-prenuers who are interested in either creating or growing a successful poultry business.”

Alaasis Braynen, BAMSI’s chief executive and general manager, said: “As the programme grows, we will also be partnering with registered livestock farmers and agri-prenuers to help grow their broods. The chicks and technical support which BAMSI produces for farmers will increase the number and size of local poultry operations, which will have the necessary positive result for food security.”

He added that a veterinarian will be onsite in Andros to ensure the birds, who have been vaccinated, remain healthy.