Honiara, Solomon Islands – Local poultry farmers are urging the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to step up and take control of the country’s brooding system, arguing that doing so would not only ease the burden on small farmers but also generate revenue for the government and help bring down the high cost of eggs and chicken.
Currently, the supply of day-old chicks is controlled by Vuvula, a foreign-owned company with a near-monopoly on the brooding industry. Farmers say this monopoly has resulted in inflated prices, leaving them with few affordable options and limiting growth in the local poultry sector.
“We are asking the Ministry to step in and take charge,” said one farmer. “The government can make money by running its own brooding system or supporting local hatcheries. It would help farmers, reduce prices for consumers, and create income for the country.”
In addition to addressing the brooding system, farmers are calling for better regulation of egg imports. They argue that constant importation of eggs is undermining local production and discouraging investment in the domestic poultry industry.
“Egg imports should only happen during shortages, not all year round,” the farmer stressed. “When you bring in eggs all the time, it pushes local farmers out. The Government needs to protect local agriculture.”
Farmers believe that if the Ministry of Agriculture invests in a national brooding system and limits imports to seasonal needs, it will strengthen the local poultry industry, create jobs, boost food security, and allow the country to become more self-sufficient.
“This is a smart move for the government,” the farmer added. “It’s time to stop relying on foreign companies and imports. Let’s support our own people and grow our own food.”
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Thoughts? Iumi stori
