Barbados’ leading poultry industry association has publicly acknowledged its surprise at a major local processor’s unannounced move to recruit small-scale poultry producers directly, even as the group reaffirms its commitment to working alongside the firm to boost domestic production and shore up national food security.
The Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers Association (BEPPA) says it stands ready to partner with Amir’s Chicken/Fasons Foods, despite being caught off guard by the company’s weekend launch of an independent outreach and support program for small farmers. BEPPA President Stephen Layne shared that he felt “a little bit shocked” and disappointed that Fasons Foods — a registered member of both BEPPA and the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) — chose to bypass the industry body to roll out the initiative on its own.
Layne was quick to emphasize, however, that there is no bad blood between the association and the processor, and that BEPPA welcomes any effort that lifts the local poultry sector and advances national food security goals. Rumors of Fasons Foods’ direct recruitment campaign had been circulating among BEPPA members for some time, Layne explained, which he initially dismissed until the company officially confirmed the initiative over the weekend.
“I was just a little bit taken aback and surprised about the news breaking,” Layne said in an interview. “As a member of the association, I thought it would have been better if we had that discussion in advance … so we could speak with one voice.” He added that prior consultation would have allowed the association to connect Fasons Foods with small farmers who actually have the capacity to scale up production, noting that many of the producers already approached by Amir’s Chicken are already operating at full capacity with pre-existing committed market access.
Laye made clear that BEPPA has no intention of entering into a public dispute with the processor. “Amir is seeing an opportunity there and he wants to take it,” he said. “We are not in a real conflict here … anything that assists any organisation or company that can support our farmers is of benefit to us as well.”
The BEPPA president has long been a vocal advocate for expanding opportunities for small-scale producers, whom he describes as the unsung backbone of Barbados’ domestic food supply chain. “In the recent past, when the bigger producers have failed, they [smaller farmers] were able to step in and supply the market for some of our larger supermarkets and restaurants,” he noted. Layne pointed out that integrated partnerships between processors and small-to-medium poultry producers — such as the long-running model used by Chickmont Foods Group, which works with growers raising between 5,000 and 10,000 birds — is already a proven, successful structure in Barbados, and he expressed optimism that a similarly fair and structured arrangement can be worked out with Fasons Foods to ensure no small producer is left disadvantaged.
This development comes at a uniquely challenging juncture for Barbados’ poultry sector, which is currently preparing to confront the severe impacts of seasonal extreme weather. In response to heat-related concerns raised by Amir’s Chicken, Layne confirmed that BEPPA is already rolling out targeted technical support for producers across the island. To combat dangerous heat stress that drives up bird mortality, the association has partnered with a local paint manufacturer to apply specialized heat-reflective coatings to poultry house roofs. BEPPA is also collaborating with major feed suppliers, including Pinnacle Feeds — a subsidiary of Roberts Manufacturing — to host free educational seminars for small farmers focused on managing avian disease, securing reliable potable water supplies, and protecting profitability amid global feed price inflation.
Looking forward, Layne has called for formal, structured talks with Fasons Foods leadership to build a collaborative framework and guide orderly market expansion that benefits all stakeholders. “I believe there is still room for us to have that conversation,” he said. “I remain optimistic that we can proceed along those lines … and put the island in a position where we have security of poultry meat as well as eggs.”
The Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) has also welcomed Fasons Foods’ new initiative, with chief executive James Paul noting that contract farming models are not a new development in Barbados’ agricultural sector. Paul pointed out that long-established major processors including Star Poultry and Gale’s Agro Products have relied on similar small-farmer contract models for decades, and current operators like Maroon Poultry continue to use the framework today.
“What we are seeing is growth in the number of processors who want to use this model,” Paul said. “That is a good thing for the sector, and we would encourage smaller farmers to get on board.”
Paul offered a candid, balanced assessment of the inherent dynamics of contract farming, noting that power imbalances can sometimes emerge between independent small growers and large processing companies. He highlighted the persistent logistical and marketing barriers that hold back many small-scale poultry farmers, particularly those operating flocks between 1,000 and 15,000 birds, who rarely have access to established, reliable distribution networks.
“The challenge is that when those birds are ready, there must be somebody there to take them,” Paul explained. “Certainly, somebody like Fasons Foods who is prepared to provide that service for farmers in terms of marketing the birds — that is good.” He added that transparent, fair final pricing, especially the farm-gate rate guaranteed to participating growers, will be the most critical factor in determining the long-term success of these partnership models.
Paul noted that Fasons Foods’ move could help ease ongoing anxiety within Barbados’ small farming community, where recent expansion of large-scale commercial chicken operations had sparked fears that independent small producers would be squeezed out of the market. When multiple major processors including Fasons Foods and Chickmont Foods commit to purchasing birds from small-scale producers, it creates a critical safety net that allows farmers who have invested in their own production infrastructure to maintain stable, consistent output, he said.
“With the expansion and growth in the industry that we are likely to see, you would expect that growth is facilitated by processors … giving opportunities for small farmers who have invested in these chicken pens,” Paul added.
