The Minister of Agriculture has secured a donation consignment of corn from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The consignment is sufficient to last for four and 1/2 months to feed all the pigs, chickens and ducks in Seychelles.
Farmers can now rest at night, knowing that their live stock will live for 4 1/2 months. In the case of chickens, that is 30 days of extra life on earth, as they are plucked just before the 4 1/2 month corn cycle SPPF has offered to farmers. If you are a duck, you will live to your ripe adolescence of four (4) months.
The biggest loosers in this Animal Farm Roulette will undoubtedly be the pigs and pig farmers. Pigs require 6-8 months of solid feeding to make it to market in good profitable shape. With corn supply adequate for 4 1/2 months, most pigs will never make it to achieving “Bacon Heaven” status. Pig farmers can forget about traveling to Bangkok on holiday this year. Their pigs which are born from June 5th onwards have been earmarked, to starve to death under Communist China’s intervention.
Those pigs that were born before June 5th and had lost a large amount of kilos will have an opportunity now to put on the fat and meat- body mass. They will have a chance to make it to the market, but since they gained and lose weight only to gain more weight again, their pork chops will be stringy and fiber like, as they would have undergone severe stress during the fattening period. The quality of the pork meat will not be suitable for hams or gammon.
The prospects for the average farmer look bleak indeed. Farming under SPPF has become a game of Roulette. After all the hard work and personal sacfrice, all the heavy investments, farmers find themselves now gambling with their livelihood by counting on SPPF to manage the Animal Feed stock.
SPPF has told farmers they can sell their produce in Euros. Very good SPPF. Now tell them that if SPPF cannot maintain the supply of corn in the Country, SPPF will forgive farmers all their housing, truck and business loans held by the SPPF run DBS.
Put your money where your mouth is SPPF.
Farmers of Seychelles, open your eyes, if SPPF cannot manage and maintain corn supplies, what makes you think SPPF can manage the Country? Finally, what ever happened to the “buffer stock” Mr. Afif? You were not just buffing or were you?