Certified poultry production training (see Wednesday newspaper) provided by the St. Maarten Entrepreneurship Development Center (SEDC) is an excellent and timely idea. The 95% discount bringing the cost down to US $35 should boost participation.
These are the kind of tangible initiatives from the so-called country package of reforms guided by a Temporary Work Organisation (TWO) that people are looking for. Small but meaningful programmes can make a big difference.
Many already raise chickens primarily for eggs at and around their homes. This was actually encouraged during the COVID-19 crisis and when prices in the US rose dramatically, among others due to bird-flue.
However, expert advice from brooding and housing management through eggs handling, processing and packaging is no doubt welcome. The August 17 to 28 course will cover broiler and layer production, poultry housing and management, disease prevention, biosecurity, vaccination and basic medicine administration.
The latter seems particularly fitting at a time of food-borne diseases spreading in major trade partner the US. Home-grown groceries are obviously less likely to be infected.
Food security is therefore a matter of quality as well as quantity. In addition, responsible farming leads to healthy eating habits.
It’s not easy mind you. Local producers are at a disadvantage compared to larger ones abroad based on economy of scale and related cost per unit alone, despite the lack of shipping charges except for means of production.
Access to the market is difficult under those circumstances, partly because the country has no import taxes or protective levies. The destination’s “duty free” image remains important for the tourism economy and there is always the open border with the French side to consider when contemplating any fiscal measure.
Nevertheless, offering tools and knowledge as also done with fishermen recently should certainly stimulate the local agriculture sector and help make the island more self-reliant, little by little.
