Christpher Gill's Column

Where’s The Corn SPPF?

Recently the Farmers Association led by Mr. Serge Ben strong, a highly qualified and accomplished farmer in his own right, has been going back and forth to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance sounding the alarm bells on behalf of farmers to Government of Seychelles concerning the lack of adequate Animal Feed Meal in the country to maintain livestock. Over 1000 farmers are affected by this macro-economic blunder. It is not the first time. But perhaps the situation in 2008 represents the worse ever.

The Ministry of Finance complains that it does not have the necessary $ 500,000.00 in foreign exchange to buy corn meal supplies every three (3) months and the buffer stock at SMB has been exhausted. It is essentially a “collapse” in the Animal Feed Meal supply chain. The irony of this situation is that farmers sell much of their products to SMB itself, the big octopus with many tentacles, which today is now strangling itself. Soon SMB will not have any pork product, chicken and eggs to sell to the Public. Prices will slump as animals are slaughtered in anticipation of near death, then prices will sky-rocket when farmers stop producing. Smart farmers will start salting pork, chicken and eggs like our forefathers did when traveling between islands. Eventually, only the rich and well-placed will have access to eggs, chicken and yes even a little pork chop. Thank you SPPF for taking us on a healthy ride of disaster. Now we will add chicken, pork chops, bacon and eggs to our list of things to buy when we go to Mauritius.

Last month, SMB privatized Food Pro to itself (SPPF) more or less. Food Pro processes much of the chicken and pork product for Seychelles. Mr. Faure never thought that to have nice pork chops you need some corn. To have eggs for breakfast for those Five Star Guests on our shores and those little children we like to refer to as our future since they do not ask questions yet, you need corn Minister. To keep Farmers farming you need corn. We can bring in 400 little 1000cc Daihatsu’s consigned to every administrative girlfriend in the country but in the end, without corn, Seychelles administrative girlfriends will not eat, unless they take to eating car tires off the bright red Daihatsu’s that Abaye imports.

SPPF cannot blame the price of corn on the world market for the lack of corn in Seychelles to meet their Governmental parastatal commitments to the Farmers of Seychelles who produce meat product for SMB. This is a little like telling a child I brought you into the world, now at 3 years old, you are on your own I cannot afford to look after you, it’s too big a commitment.

SPPF has a responsibility to the Farmers because it created the system of reliance on SMB for Animal Feed Meal. It promised supply of corn to them. They relied on that promise and invested millions. SPPF must give ample supply of Animal Feed Meal to farmers now. Stop the premature death of meat produce. Allow farmers to regroup, set up a farm cooperative which will allow them to buy their corn meal overseas. And yes, SMB must start paying in US Dollars or Euros for chicken, since SPPF has destroyed our Rupee today and no one who has to buy corn on the open market would want a Rupee for an egg!

Christpher Gill's Column

Where’s The Corn SPPF?

Don’t go changing your name now SMB!