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Super Value Eggs priced to save Consumers $5 per Dozen; now sourcing from Dominican Republic

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Deandrea Hamilton

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The Bahamas, March 7, 2025 – Nearly 25,000 eggs were destroyed by the Agriculture Department of the Turks and Caicos  Islands, when officials learned that a local grocer sourced eggs from the Dominican Republic, without the requisite government approvals.  An effort (by that grocery store) which was likely driven by the need to meet the surging demand and beat the soaring prices.

The TCI Animal Health Ordinance 2024 mandates the confiscation and destruction of the commodities, and violators may be subject to fines or other penalties, said a government issued release which also explained why eggs from the DR are not approved for Turks and Caicos consumption.

“It is important to note that the Dominican Republic has not declared itself free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, making it a high-risk zone for disease transmission into the TCI.”

The 24,840 eggs were discovered during a routine inspection of imports from the Dominican Republic on February 27, 2025.

While reaction to the decision has been mixed, other governments are under pressure to find relief in the cost of this item for consumers.

The Dominican Republic, according to media reports noticed the surge in demand years ago.  The Latino-Caribbean country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti formulated a plan that is now paying off, tremendously.

News company, Dominican Today reports egg production for February and March in the DR has topped 350 million eggs.

“Since 2019, the country has implemented an avian influenza vaccination program to protect local production and stabilize the industry.  Egg exports have also surged, with shipments averaging 67 million units per month in 2024 to markets such as Cuba, Aruba, and Haiti.”

These days the list of clients has grown and includes the British Virgin Islands and more recently, The Bahamas.

Super Value and its chain of over a dozen stores had to find a solution and introduced Super Value branded eggs to the market with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Debra Symonette, President of Super Value, on Monday March 3, told Bahamian media: “The price of eggs has been soaring for months now, and we have been making every effort to bring these prices down. The bird flu has caused this. It’s been spreading across the US, and as a result, millions of chickens have been killed. As a result of the death of these birds, fewer eggs are being laid, and with the supply going down so significantly, the prices have continued to soar.”

The sticker shock spawned countless memes on social media; residents creating cell phone videos of the local price of eggs and sharing it online.  Super Value soon stopped labelling the eggs with the steep price tags and even announced it was prepared to take the loss for households in The Bahamas did not suffer.

Super Value soon proved that its diligence would cement a new connection; a new source market would drive egg prices per dozen to below $4USD.

“We’re all trying to bring down the price of eggs to a considerable, an acceptable amount and today, we’re glad to say that the Super Value chain of stores, they would [have] reached out to the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, referenced the sources of eggs from some other areas who we’ve been trading with for a number of years, and we would have placed them in the hands of BAHFSA (The Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority) who is in charge all of those safety concerns, meeting all the requisite protocols and everything else,” said Neil Campbell,  permanent secretary.

Campbell also confirmed the new price.

“And today we are pleased to say that through that initiative, we now brought down the price of the eggs to $3.79. Once you add VAT it is now $4.78. So it’s another initiative brought on by the Ministry of Agriculture, where we would have heard the cries of the public, the nation, and received directives.”

Initially the new supplier was not revealed, but it did not take long for the Dominican Republic to be identified.  Almost simultaneously, it also became known that the Turks and Caicos destroyed eggs from the same country, for fear of lower safety standards.

Bahamians questioned whether The Bahamas government was allowing the grocery store chain to put public health at risk.  Super Value aimed to allay fears.

Tribune Bahamas reported: Clifton Fernander, Super Value’s perishables buyer, yesterday reiterated that the lower-priced eggs – sourced from outside the traditional US supply chain – had met all the Government’s health and safety regulatory requirements amid questions over their origin, date, quality and nutritional value. Super Value itself had also tested the eggs’ condition itself by boiling and frying them.

The Bahamas Agricultural Health & Food Safety Authority also issued a statement on March 6.

“BAFSA is in receipt of documents from the Government of the Dominican Republic verifying that the consignment of eggs for Super Value is in good sanitary condition, complies with current regulations, and is, therefore suitable for export and human consumption.”

The fear about eggs and the surge in its cost stem from an outbreak of avian influenza in the United States.

U.S. media reports inform: More than 20 million egg-laying chickens in the US died last quarter because of bird flu, data from the US Department of Agriculture shows.

Egg production plants began shutting down during the second quarter of 2024 due to the detection of the H5N1 strain of bird flu.  Initially costs edged up and then they more than doubled.

Beyond the frustrating costs now attached to this pantry staple, there has been cross contamination with deadly consequences for people.  Earlier this year, a Louisianna native died after contracting the virus.

“As of January 6, 2025, there have been 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024 and 67 since 2022. This is the first person in the United States who has died as a result of an H5 infection,” informed a January 6, 2025 statement issued by the CDC.

Sourcing eggs to end the “shell shock” to Bahamian consumers was widely praised and residents rushed to Super Value stores to take advantage of the more cost effect product; savings are pegged at around $5 per dozen.

“We have some on the shelves now. People seem to have already gotten the word because people are in there now like crazy everywhere. We’re putting them out as fast as we can.”

Bahamas News

Walker Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas: A Partner in America’s Extended Family

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

 

The United States and The Bahamas share more than proximity — they share a bond of history, trade, and culture that Washington’s newest diplomat calls “part of America’s extended community.”

Now, for the first time in 14 years, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau will again be led by a Senate-confirmed ambassador. Herschel Walker, the Heisman-winning football legend turned entrepreneur, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as America’s official envoy to The Bahamas.

Walker, who will oversee one of the Caribbean’s most strategically positioned U.S. missions, told senators during his confirmation hearing that The Bahamas will play a key role in upcoming U.S. 250th Independence celebrations. “The Bahamian people,” he said, “will be included in this milestone year, because our stories are intertwined — through family, trade, and friendship.”

While his nomination was unconventional, his priorities are anything but vague. Walker vowed to counter growing Chinese influence in the Caribbean, calling Beijing’s investments in Bahamian deep-water ports “a direct threat to U.S. national security.” He pledged to work closely with Bahamian authorities to ensure American interests remain the region’s cornerstone.

“There’s a rise in drug smuggling in The Bahamas, and this is a real danger to the United States,” Walker said, referring to the Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) partnership. He promised to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint patrols, and law enforcement coordination to disrupt trafficking routes that have grown increasingly sophisticated.

But Walker also emphasized opportunity over fear — signaling that his ambassadorship will not only focus on security, but on strengthening The Bahamas as a gateway for U.S. investment, trade, and tourism.

“I will advise the American business community of the vast investment opportunities that exist in The Bahamas,” he said. “And I will make sure the Bahamian government maintains an environment where U.S. companies can invest confidently — because America must prove it is still great as an investor.”

For a small island nation sitting less than 50 miles off the coast of Florida, this renewed diplomatic attention carries weight. Since 2011, the post of U.S. ambassador had remained vacant — a gap that many observers say weakened direct ties, delayed joint security initiatives, and allowed other powers to move in.

Walker’s confirmation — approved 51 to 47 — ends that silence. And with it comes the expectation that this former Olympian and business owner will translate his discipline, charisma, and resilience into diplomatic results.

Critics question his lack of foreign policy experience, but Walker counters with confidence: “Throughout my life, people have underestimated me. I’ve always proved them wrong — by outworking everyone.”

As he prepares to take up residence in Nassau, Walker says his mission is simple: rebuild trust, deepen cooperation, and remind both nations that their futures are tied not just by geography — but by shared purpose, mutual respect, and the enduring ties of community.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

 

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Bahamas News

PAY STANDOFF: Prime Minister Cancels Talks as Unions Warn of More Protests

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

Monday, October 13, 2025 — Nassau, The Bahamas – What began as a calm holiday meeting has spiraled into a full-blown standoff between The Bahamas Government and two of the country’s most powerful public sector unions — the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) — after the Prime Minister abruptly cancelled follow-up talks set for Tuesday, blaming public comments made by union leaders.

The announcement of the cancelled meeting came late Monday, just hours after a tense sit-down at the Office of the Prime Minister, held on National Heroes Day, where both BUT President Belinda Wilson and BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson accused the government of dragging its feet on salary increases and retroactive pay owed to thousands of public officers.

Wilson, never one to mince words, said the Prime Minister’s “technical officers” — the very people responsible for executing his instructions — were failing to carry out his directives regarding payment timelines.

“The Prime Minister’s issue,” Wilson said, “is that he has persons working for him who are not following his instructions. If those officers would follow through on what he told them to do, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Wilson added that the BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the Prime Minister.

“Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay — thousands of dollars — backdated to September of last year,” Wilson charged. “We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned.”

Her comments came after the government publicly insisted that the salary adjustments would be implemented by December 2025, just ahead of Christmas — a timeline unions flatly reject as too slow.

Ferguson: ‘No More Excuses’

Following Wilson, BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson delivered a fiery statement of his own, telling reporters the unions would no longer tolerate delays or mixed messages from the Davis administration.

“The Prime Minister was receptive — but we’re not accepting excuses,” Ferguson said. “If the Prime Minister’s having a memory lapse, we have the Hansard from Parliament to remind him exactly what he promised public officers.”

Ferguson went further, warning that if Tuesday’s meeting failed to produce results, unions would “visit the House of Assembly” and intensify their campaign for immediate payment.

“Public servants, ready yourselves,” he declared. “We are prepared to stand together — all across The Bahamas — until our needs are met.”

Now, with the Prime Minister cancelling tomorrow’s talks altogether, that threat appears closer to becoming reality.

Government Bungles Response

Observers say the administration’s handling of the matter has been confused and contradictory, with conflicting statements on payment timelines and poor communication fueling frustration among teachers, nurses, and general public officers.

The government has maintained that the funds are allocated and will be disbursed before year’s end, but unionists insist they’ve heard it all before — and this time they want results, not promises.

The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the meeting, rather than clarify or de-escalate tensions, has drawn sharp criticism across social media and among rank-and-file civil servants who see the move as punitive and dismissive.

Slowdown and the Threat of Another Mass Protest

Across several ministries, departments, and schools, reports are already surfacing of a go-slow in the public service, as workers express solidarity with the unions’ demands.

Many believe another mass demonstration is imminent, similar to the one staged last week Tuesday when thousands of workers gathered outside the House of Assembly on Bay Street as Parliament reopened after summer recess.

That protest brought parts of downtown Nassau to a standstill as union members sang, marched, and even sat in the street — a powerful show of defiance that now threatens to repeat itself unless the government moves quickly to resolve the impasse.

A Political Flashpoint

What began as a straightforward salary dispute has now evolved into a test of credibility and competence for the Davis administration. With a restless public sector, rising inflation, and unions unified across professions, the government risks not only another protest — but a full-blown industrial crisis heading into the year’s end.

For now, the unions are standing firm: they want retroactive pay from September 2024 and full salary adjustments by this October. Anything less, they warn, could push the country’s workforce from a slowdown into open confrontation.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Bahamas News

Nassau Cruise Port Marks Sixth Anniversary with Exciting New Additions for Visitors and The community

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[Nassau, Bahamas, October 8, 2025] Nassau Cruise Port (NCP) proudly celebrates its sixth corporate anniversary by unveiling a series of transformative additions that further enhance the guest and community experience. The anniversary comes at a pivotal moment in the growth of the port, with the opening of a new swimming pool, an expanded marina, and a state-of-the-art ferry terminal that will support transfers to the Royal Beach Club, which is currently under construction on Paradise Island.

Since its $300 million redevelopment, Nassau Cruise Port – the largest transit cruise port in the world – has welcomed millions of visitors and become one of the most vibrant cruise destinations in the world. This anniversary not only reflects its commitment to delivering world-class facilities, but also its dedication to creating meaningful connections between visitors and the Bahamian community.

“This milestone represents much more than the passage of time,” said Mike Maura, Jr., CEO and Director of Nassau Cruise Port. “It reflects our promise to continually elevate the guest experience, contribute to the local economy, and provide opportunities for Bahamians. During our first year (2019) of operating the Nassau Cruise Port, Nassau welcomed approximately. 3.85 million cruise guests, and 2025 will see well over 6 million cruise visitors visit Nassau. Our focus on driving cruise tourism and the $350 million investment in our downtown waterfront is a testament to our vision of making Nassau a premier cruise and leisure destination.”

The new pool offers a refreshing retreat for visitors enjoying Nassau’s waterfront, while the expanded marina will accommodate additional yachts, boosting tourism and local commerce. The ferry terminal expansion enhances passenger flow and supports convenient, seamless transfers to the Royal Beach Club, strengthening Nassau’s position as a hub for Caribbean cruising and leisure.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, NCP will host a series of internal and external activities to celebrate its team and to highlight its ongoing investments in the Bahamian economy, including job creation, local vendor opportunities, and cultural showcases at the port.

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