A speciality at A & P Farms
For over five years they have managed to maintain a reputation of producing the very finest in fresh poultry.
In fact, thatâs one of the reasons why A & P Farms is being featured in this issue of the Ministry of Trade Small Business Venture . {{more}}
Since 1998 Vincentians were treated to a difference in taste from locally produced birds, and thatâs not so surprising when thatâs the same year Peter De Abreu and his wife returned to St. Vincent to start A & P Farms, after spending some 20 years in Canada.
Nestled in the quiet basin of Brighton Bay, A & P Farms offers fresh locally grown chickens at international standards for the domestic market.
Retiring and returning to St. Vincent and the Grenadines with the idea of establishing a modern manufacturing plant, De Abreu plunged some quarter million dollars investment into the operation of his chicken farm.
To ensure a constant supply of birds for his market, A & P Farms boasts three large scale pens and a processing plant, all fully automated using state-of-the-art stainless steel equipment to ensure top quality results under hygienic conditions.
At any one stage on a visit to A & P Farms, your eyes would be greeted by over 3,500 birds frolicking in their pens waiting to be slaughtered.
According to De Abreu there is no trade secret in the preparation of his birds, but a taste of his products will naturally have a different flavour than imported chickens you buy in stores.
âThe people that are reluctant to use locally manufactured birds, there is a significant difference in taste. The local birds that are fresh naturally taste better than the birds in the supermarkets as they are there frozen even up to a year,â he explained.
De Abreu maintained that his birds are different because of quality. âWe are the only retailers that give 100 per cent money back or replacements on our productsâ¦we are that confident in the production of our birds,â the businessman boasted.
Providing a weekly supply of over 400 birds, De Abreu is assuring Vincentians that there is no real reason to have doubts about buying from A & P Farms; with a well-trained staff and inspectors who constantly ensure that they keep up to health standards, the finished product at this Brighton Bay plant can definitely compete on the international market.
But, De Abreu confessed that part of the biggest problem for A & P Farms is securing a reasonable market due to competition from imports. He claimed that the production cost of local birds is a bit high, but he assured, âAs more Vincentians start shifting to local production we increase volume and get the price of birds to drop.”
Persons wishing to get a sample of the quality production from A & P Farms can buy his products at the Calliaqua playing field every Saturday morning from 7 – 10 a.m. or telephone A & P Farms at 784-456-9424.
Photo above: Peter De Abreu, manager of A & P Farms.