Slow growth rates and issues with payment for their product are threatening the operations of small poultry farmers, says president of the Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers Association (BEPPA) Stephen Layne.The organisation is moving to put measures in place to avert any shortages or minimise any other major impacts these challenges could create.Layne told Barbados TODAY he believes that poultry farmers were resilient and could weather the current issues. However, drawing from the experience of the last two years and the financial problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Layne said he did not want the ongoing pressures to drive any more farmers away from the industry.“The compact we signed with Government is creating some challenges for some farmers but we are very optimistic that we would be able to formulate some solutions to that situation and help resolve it. It is more a problem for the smaller farmers,” he said. “They are complaining about the pricing and the non-payment or slow payment by the persons they are selling to - the supermarkets and restaurants. This is creating some hardship for them.”
