??
Minister of Rural Development, Denis Kellman (right), and farmer Winston Haynes cut the ribbon to open the pig farm.??

Minister of Rural Development, Denis Kellman has lauded one St. Lucy farmer for establishing a business which will create jobs and save foreign exchange for the country.

Winston Haynes of Winston Agriculture Incoporated in Barrows, St. Lucy received high praise from the Minster at the opening of his pig farm earlier this week.

Mr. Kellman noted that the country is currently experiencing a crisis, and applauded the pig farmer for attempting to assist with its recovery. "It is no doubt that what Winston is doing today is a start, if we are to turn around the Barbadian economy. It is through agriculture, tourism and manufacturing that we have the best opportunities to make that change," the Rural Minister stated.

Alluding to the term "stocks", which Mr. Kellman said was commonly used by our fore parents to refer to "the investment they had in the backyard", he stressed that "if we were going to challenge the world market" it was extremely necessary to return to a similar mentality while "taking back" the local market.

"… In order to export and dominate the export market, you must first be able to take charge of your home base. Like building a house if you do not build a good foundation then it is a waste of time putting on a roof, because everything will come crumbling down," the Minister asserted.

He reminded Barbadians that "keeping animals is not a crime" and quipped: "they want to eat the pork from the pig, but they do not want to smell the pig. They do not realise that it is the smell of the pig that creates the sweetness in the pig."

Mr Kellman made the assurance that Government had no intention of cutting back pork production in the island, but would instead find external markets if there was excess production.

sharifa.medford@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest