Pinder stresses importance of Bahamas growing its own food
“If you want something, you’re going to have to pay 10, 20 or 100 percent more”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An Abaco-based poultry producer said yesterday that inflationary prices have driven its operational costs up by as much as 30 percent, noting that it could no longer hold back on its own price hikes.
Lance Pinder, operations manager at Abaco Big Bird, in an interview with Eyewitness News, said: “It’s tough and things are getting tougher. It’s quite scary. The prices of stuff has gone sky high.
“If you want something, you’re going to have to pay 10, 20 or 100 percent more.
“This has been going on for six months and has been getting worse. I thought it would have gotten better by now.”
Pinder noted that the farm has been challenged to source chicks for its poultry farm.
“There’s a big shortage of broiler — the meat bird — eggs, which is causing a problem in getting the birds themselves,” he said.
“The factory we deal with hasn’t been able to get us any since the end of November. The ones we got now came through our feed supplier and they came from Iowa and cost us double.
“Fortunately for us right now, our inventory in the freezer is healthy. I don’t see an issue right now.”
Pinder noted that with the goods of necessary supplies having increased, the company will have to raise its prices.
“We are going to have to go up on prices; there’s no way around it,” said Pinder.
I think the inflation everyone has been seeing is going to get a lot worse.
– Abaco Big Bird Operations Manager Lance Pinder
“We have just been kind of riding things out, hoping it will get better. We can’t hold it down any more.
“Right now, our operational cost is up close to around 30 percent.
“A bunch of stuff just went up again in January, which I haven’t even factored in yet.”
He added: “I think the inflation everyone has been seeing is going to get a lot worse because a lot of businesses have been using old inventory and when they have to buy new stuff, it’s going to get pretty rough.
“This is one of the reasons why we should have really been putting more emphasis on growing stuff here.
“The Bahamas will never be a big agricultural power house but we should be able to produce more food than we should.”
