20 farmers tapped for fresh produce exports

About 20 farmers are being lined up to supply fruits and vegetables to the government’s newly opened packhouse, which is expected to begin operations by October as Barbados steps up efforts to export fresh produce.

Chief Executive Officer of Export Barbados BIDC, Mark Hill, told Barbados TODAY the export-focused packhouse, being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, is expected to focus specifically on overseas markets rather than supermarket consumption.

“We’re also dispatching out cold chain capabilities to some key farmers who are part of that export packhouse programme. We’re going to be talking about 20 farmers, to help grow specifically for export.