ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The Princess Margaret School’s Broiler Project is growing by leaps and bounds. The agriculture department of the educational institution, where the initiative was conceptualised, rolled out phase two this week.
The second phase saw the first delivery of over 100 pounds of poultry to a local supermarket on Wednesday.
According to head of the department Craig Cole, a second delivery is to be made to another supermarket early next week.
“We are very thankful to the management and staff for working along with us,” Cole said.
“We are looking forward to making regular deliveries every four weeks, God willing.”
He said the department is also seeking the assistance of corporate Antigua in sponsoring the cost of packaging. This includes ensuring that the products from the school are properly labelled for identification.
“We are looking at getting those packages as soon as possible, because people will know what they are utilising is from Princess Margaret. We are very happy with the interest shown by different people who have made whatever effort they could to support the programme,” he added.
The broilers, weighing an average of three pounds, will be sold at $4.50 per pound to one supermarket and $4 per pound to the other.
Cole expressed hope that other local entities would buy into the project.
“We actually had discussions with a hotel recently and they requested certain information. That information will be provided. Once we have established ourselves and an agreement has been made, we will be supplying this hotel,” Cole said.
The broilers are produced over a period of five weeks and gain, on average, approximately three and a half pounds, which the school’s head described as “tender meat.”
The school’s agriculture department is also working with a number of other schools to get their programmes off the ground, including Jennings Secondary School, National Training and Technical Centre and Antigua Grammar School.
