The Bayfords Layer Chicken Hatchery has reached a significant milestone, successfully completing its first regional order of 500 day-old chicks to St. Eustatius (Statia). The chicks were collected by Dr. Sharon Veira, Unit Manager of Veterinary Services at the Department of Agriculture in Statia, and promptly distributed to local farmers upon her return.

Commissioned less than a year ago, the state-of-the-art facility at the Bayfords Livestock Centre of Excellence it is expanding food security efforts in the federation and region and is made possible through the Layer Chicken Industry Sustainable Development Project. It is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF).

The project aims to provide over 20,000 day-old chicks annually for meat and egg production, helping to lessen the Federation’s dependence on external food sources.