VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #1406/01 3111843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071843Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1821
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHXI/LABOR COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1822
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
RUEHCV/USDAO CARACAS VE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 001406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR AND DRL 
USDOL FOR ILAB 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB ECON PGOV PREL BB XL
SUBJECT: BIGEST POLUTRY PRODUCER IN BARBADOS LOOKING AT 
EXPORTING TO US MARKET 
 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00001406  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary: POl/ECON Deputy was contacted by the GM of 
Chickmont Foods, Barbados who was interested in finding out 
how to export chickens to the US market.  POL/ECON Deputy met 
with the GM, Geoffry Goddard, to explore their plans and 
learn more about the poultry industry in Barbados. Mr. 
Goddard indicated that the poultry business in Barbados is 
heavily dependent on US suppliers for most of their raw 
material inputs as well as machinery.  He thought that 
Barbados would be an attractive place for American firms to 
do business, and was surprised at how few American companies 
are active in the island.  End Summary 
 
¶2.  Chickmont Foods is the largest poultry producer in 
Barbados, with 45% of the market share.  They have the most 
advanced machinery in the region, and are the second country 
in the entire hemisphere to have the latest chilling units 
produced in the US. He was most proud of their computerized 
management system. Every farm in the island that they own or 
buy from is tied into the network.  When they have an order, 
they go online and can determine which farm is ready to 
supply the market and then they order the slaughter and pick 
up/delivery information online.  Within minutes the farm is 
preparing the chickens for delivery to the market.  Chickmont 
is not only the largest supplier in Barbados, but they are 
also big suppliers to cruise ships who stock up on chicken 
products when they dock in Barbados.  Mr. Goddard said that 
Chickmont has developed such a good reputation that the 
cruise ship industry would like to import chicken breasts 
from them into Miami and supply their ships from there. Mr. 
Goddard believes his company is the only company in the 
Eastern Carribean capable of meeting that demand.  He 
contacted the Econ section for advice as to how to get 
permission to export to the US market. 
 
¶3. Pol/Econ deputy contacted USDA Miami who advised him that 
the process is complicated, requiring a country to seek 
certification for the entire industry before they can be 
allowed to export meat products to the US. The Chief 
Veterinary Health authorities would be the appropriate 
government office to start the process overseas. They would 
request certification of the industry.  The request goes to 
USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, which then schedules an 
audit of the industry, before issuing a certification.  DHS's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) would also 
have to sign off on the certification. 
 
4) Goddard was surprised to hear this, and also shocked that 
China is on the list of suppliers of chicken given that China 
has some very substandard poultry operators.  Pol/Econ 
officer provided the GM with details on the procedures from 
the USDA web page and suggested that Chickmont work with a 
lawyer to begin navigating the process. 
 
¶5. Mr. Goddard is the grandson of Mr. Joseph Goddard, who 
founded one of the largest corporations in Barbados, Goddard 
Enterprises, which has operations in more than 23 countries 
in the region. Mr. Goddard's father founded Chickmont Foods 
after retiring from the Chairmanship of Goddard Enterprises. 
Chickmont Foods, though, is not part of the Goddard corporate 
family. 
 
¶6.  Pol/econ chief also asked Mr. Goddard about the recent 
labor turmoil at ADM Barbados.  He said that the situation 
was badly handled from the beginning by the company.  He said 
that the labor movement, like the rest of Barbados society, 
is very status conscious and protocol minded.  ADM did not go 
through the standard procedures, and the union objected.  The 
company ultimately decided to settle the matter with the 
unions rather than risk an embargo.  Mr. Goddard said that 
ADM controls more than 50% of the grain imports coming into 
Barbados and that any work stoppage or disruption would ruin 
the economy very quickly. He therefore thought that ADM had 
more leverage with the union than almost any other company. 
He commented that he had generally good relations with the 
union, but sometimes they went a bit too far and always 
backed down when he confronted them. 
 
Comment:  The ADM situation illustrates some of the pitfalls 
facing foreign companies working in Barbados and, for that 
matter, the entire Eastern Caribbean where labor unions tend 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00001406  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
to be quite powerful politically and are quite conscious of 
the proper protocols to be followed in labor-management 
relations.  End Comment 
 
¶6.  Mr. Goddard indicated that his company would be quite 
interested in working with other companies in trying to 
resurrect a regional American chamber of commerce in the 
eastern Caribbean. He commented that he was surprised that 
there are so few American companies in the region given that 
almost every thing is imported from the US.  His assistant GM 
is an American citizen. Pol/Econ Deputy has accepted an offer 
to visit the plant and see their computerized chicken 
processing system in operation and to meet with the senior 
management to explore getting involved in resurrecting 
AMCHAM.  The regional chamber was formed in 2001 and last met 
in 2003.  Bridgetown's Pol/Econ section is quite keen on 
resurrecting such a regional chamber as having an active 
AMCHAM will greatly facilite our commercial and economic 
diplomacy efforts. 
HOWARD