NASSAU, The Bahamas – As the Government pushes toward 25 percent reduction of imported food by 2025, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Philip Davis said the Golden Yolk Egg Production initiative is an “urgent” and “crucial” undertaking that moves a step closer to food security.
Prime Minister Davis addressed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Golden Yolk Egg Production Project, Monday, February 27, at Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre.
“In the race for greater food security for The Bahamas, we have already made headway. We are allocating $500,000 in grants to farmers and an additional $1 million in funding to secure broilers and to support livestock farming,” he said.
“The Golden Yoke project builds on this commitment to ramping up local food production. Indeed, it goes hand in hand with our pledge to ensure every Bahamian has sufficient access to affordable and nutritious food. With a vision to slash our import bill by $12.5 million and secure 100 percent local egg production, the Golden Yolk project is an urgent and crucial undertaking – one that promises to move the needle toward greater food security for our country.”
Led by the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, the objective of the project is to “harness the entrepreneurial spirit of our people, supplanting dependency with self-reliance and innovation.” Thirty-eight poultry houses will be constructed in 12 Family Islands and 8 in New Providence.
“These sites will increase local egg production 30-fold, injecting an additional $2.3 million into our domestic economy. They will also employ numerous grow house workers, all of whom will be guaranteed a liveable wage.”
The creation of jobs, the development of Family Islands, and the empowerment of Bahamians are also among the commitments outlined in the Government’s Blueprint for Change that the initiative delivers on.
“The project’s 3-phase implementation will see the creation of some 90 jobs, over half of which will be based in the Family Islands. These new jobs mean more disposable income for Bahamians, be they from Abaco in the north or Inagua in the south. They also translate to a more robust and diverse economy for our country,” he said.
The initiative also includes the allocation of $500,000 in grants to farmers and an additional $1 million for broilers and to support livestock farming.
