The Grenada Association of Poultry Producers (GAPP) has come under severe attack from one of the leading players in the industry.
Speaking to THE NEW TODAY on Monday, the official who did not want to be named said that the association is not making any significant headway as a group due to internal bickering among several members.
He said that there is a lot of infighting within GAPP due to the fact that some of the members are just guys with what he called “big egos” and that a whole lot of unpleasant things are happening within the organisation.
He stated that there are some members in the organisation whose primary interest is not really to represent the farmers but want “to use the organisation as a stepping stone to go into the political arena”.
He said the intention “is to use the association as the visible thing where people could get to know them” to profile themselves politically.
Without calling names, the industry official charged that some of the players in GAPP are always on the radio and TV, as well as in the local newspapers conducting interviews to profile themselves and not the work of the association.
“….The guys’ motives are not sincere,” he said.
According to the industry official, some of these GAPP members have no interest in genuinely wanting to represent poultry farmers but merely to push their own personal agenda.
He singled out for mention a particular person in the St Andrew area who is closely aligned to one of the major political parties on the island.
He feared that these people are failing to realise that due to their conduct of playing politics that the poultry farmers are the ones suffering at the end of the day.
He stressed that the ordinary farmers on the island do not know what is happening within the association because of the political bickering among some members.
The official cited as a case in point an offer from Caribbean Agro Industries (CAI) more than two years ago to give farmers a $1.00 saving on every bag of animal feed purchased from the company.
He said the poultry farmers could have been “in a little better position” if those running GAPP had followed through on the CAI proposal to help in the development of the poultry industry.
“The farmers could have been in a better position but they are not in a better position and it is all because of persons thinking only about themselves and trying to advance themselves,” he said.
“Let me tell you the reason why poultry farmers in Grenada have not advanced is mainly because of those persons – the administrators,” he added.
The industry official labelled a few of GAPP members as being “corrupt” and that “a few of them are not sincere with their intentions – they have ulterior motives – some of it hinges on politics, of going into the political arena.”
He pointed to a major split in the Executive of the association in terms of “who is not coming to meetings –who is hiding the accounts – who is writing the cheques.”
Stating that GAPP is no longer “a vibrant organisation”, he said that the persons who are “stepping forward” to serve are not genuine.
“I think that is where the issue is,” he remarked.
In addition, he noted that despite their internal issues, the GAPP members are always quick to run to the government for some kind of assistance for the poultry industry.