The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, is continuing to put measures in place to expand poultry production in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Saboto Caesar, said this is in an effort to decrease the Poultry Import Bill for the country.

"There are some persons who are not aware that annually we approximately import thirty million dollars ($30, 000, 000.00) worth of chickens to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and this is something that is not only taking place in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, but throughout the OECS and there are many CAROCOM member states that have a very high poultry import bill. The locally produced chickens far superior to what we import. However, the chickens imported it is significant cheaper than that which we produce locally."

Minister Caesar said the Government has been instrumental in establishing a platform for backyard poultry production.

"And the overarching policy, the aim and the objective was to ensure that we provide for the members of the community an opportunity to grow their own chickens and produce their own eggs, but not doing it on a large scale where it could offend your neighbor, and we cemented the relationship where between the zero hunger trust fund and the Ministry of Agriculture, and we distributed close to one hundred thousand layers in the different villages."

SOURCE: National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC Radio)