Uncertainty looms over local poultry sector ahead of ICC T20 World Cup: Minister of Agriculture addresses challenges and plans for sustainable solutions

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the local poultry sector’s ability to meet the demand of the International Cricket Council’s T20 World Cup, which is slated to begin in three months’ time.

This concern was raised by Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Indar Weir who explained that Barbados’ self-sufficiency in poultry is currently impacted by a number of challenges.

The minister said an assessment of the sector would determine if importation was necessary.

However, he assured the public that steps were being taken to ensure that all other aspects of the agricultural sector could derive full benefit from the global event.

Among the areas to be addressed was the expedited provision of water supply to some areas that were heavily impacted by drought conditions.

Last month, chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), James Paul, reported the chickens were being impacted by stunted growth. However, Weir said the production issues impacting the sector went beyond the size of the birds.

“I will be very frank with you. The poultry sector is having its challenges for several reasons, not just stunted growth. The problem is that there are several management issues that we must deal with as well as instituting best practices for farms. I am speaking about how feed is stored on farms, maintenance, the quality of chicken coops, the introduction of chillers and fans, a wide range of issues,” Weir said.

“If there was an Achilles heel ahead of the World Cup, it would be the poultry sector, especially given what we experience at Christmas with shortages and we therefore must keep a laser-like focus on it to ensure that things are going according to plan.”

The minister said he had already held meetings with the industry players, noting more would be necessary to gauge the projections in the weeks ahead of the tournament. He said similar meetings were planned for the pork and dairy industries, stressing that constant monitoring would be key going forward.

“We are in planning sessions with the poultry producers. The last meeting I had with them was in January and as soon as the Estimates are over, I will meet with them again to look at our projections for June, so that we can make sure that we have that six-week window. During that window we will decide on whether they are falling short and therefore must make the decision to import,” he said.