Barbados is advancing a sweeping initiative to connect local small-scale farmers with more stable, lucrative markets, with senior government officials announcing plans to expand formal purchase agreements between agricultural producers and the island’s leading retail chains. The policy push comes as part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen domestic agricultural output, grow the national agro-processing sector, and unlock new international export opportunities for Barbadian produce.
Agriculture Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight shared details of the plan in an interview with Barbados TODAY, on the sidelines of the early-September reopening of Massy Stores’ Worthing location in Christ Church. The initiative aligns with a directive from Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who used the reopening event to call for formal farmer purchase agreements to be institutionalized as a permanent, standard component of supermarket operations across the country.
Currently, more than 50 active purchase agreements are already in place for smallholder farmers through the Farmers Enfranchisement and Empowerment Drive (FEED), a program run by the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC). During the reopening, Prime Minister Mottley emphasized that farmers cannot reasonably be expected to scale up production without guaranteed demand from major buyers. To back the policy, she committed that the government will allocate $2 million in quarterly funding to support the expansion of these purchasing arrangements.
Moving forward, BADMC will partner with Export Barbados alongside Massy Stores and other retail stakeholders to foster growth in Barbados’ emerging agro-processing industry. Munro-Knight acknowledged that the current framework for contract approval and buy-in still requires refinement to operate more efficiently, noting that streamlining administrative processes remains a key priority for the government.
In addition to expanding retail partnerships, BADMC has been directed to increase purchasing opportunities for producers through its in-house pack house facility. Working with Export Barbados and Minister Jonathan Reid, the government is currently negotiating formal supply agreements with large regional supermarket chains including Massy and Popular, with plans to onboard additional major buyers in the coming months.
Beyond Barbados’ domestic market, the administration is actively targeting international export opportunities, a critical shift given the small size of the island’s local consumer base. To advance this goal, the government will convene a dedicated technical expert working group tasked with identifying high-potential foreign markets, mapping out which crops can be produced at commercial scale locally, targeting strategic public and private investment, and outlining pathways to access these new overseas markets.
Munro-Knight stressed that building a robust, sustainable export sector for Barbadian fresh produce will not happen overnight, and urged local farmers to remain patient as the government works through the required regulatory, infrastructure and market development steps. She noted that meeting international quality standards, completing mandatory product testing, and maintaining consistent year-round production are all non-negotiable requirements to successfully enter and compete in global export markets.