During a visit to farmers in the Val d’Endor are recently, President James Michel announced that he was doing away with quotas for animal production, notably chicken. In what boils down to a complete reversal of government policy, he said farmers should be free to produce as many broilers, eggs and pigs as they could as increased production will bring down prices.
This is a welcome move. For some 20 years and more, poultry farmers were burdened with the quota system, which prevented them producing to capacity.
One farm which has the capacity to breed 60,000 chickens, had its quota, cut down to 40,000 and then to 25,000, that is only half capacity. The situation was further complicated by the fact that some fat cats, including Ministers and their cronies were competing with the farmers for day-old chicks.
Other reasons were also given for the quota system, including the need to continue maintaning a level of imports in case of disease. And we imported from South Africa, Mauritius and even from far away as Australia and Brazil. That policy was strictly adhered to and vehemently defended by the Seychelles Marketing Board, which held the monopoly for meat imports. Importation was also a means to put money in their pockets.
As for pork, it was claimed that those locally produced was not of the required quality sought by FoodPro.
President Michel should however also be reminded that farmers can only produce more if they are guaranteed a regular supply of animal feed. Recently there was a crisis when no animal feed was available - apparently it was linked to forex shortage- and some farmers had threatened to cease production.
For chicken, a bigger hatchery with more incubating cells is necessary to produce the chicks which farmers of broiler and layers need.
There is also the need for a larger abattoir. The present one can only handle 4,000 chickens a day, a sign that progress has been slow in that area.
At a follow-up meeting on food security, two days later at the ICCS, Agriculture advisor Finlay Racombo agreed that these need upgrading, but added that there is scope for private operators to invest in their own abattoirs, though they will not be allowed to handle other farmers' animals because of possible health risks.
Racombo noted that though the quota system is being abolished, poultry production will be capped at 40,000 for strategic reasons, including health. He also announced that farmers supplying the hotels can charge in foreign currency and that they are also encouraged to use that to import equipment, seeds and other needs.
President Michel's policy change is a welcome one. But he now needs to match his words by action. We could all do with less shortages in chicken, pork and other foods that can easily be produced locally. It took SPPF thirty years to realized that the private sector will do a better job at feeding the population than the government.