Opinion Article – The Royal Gazette, Sept. 17, 2025 – By Kim Smith, BEST Executive Director

Whenever we are faced with empty shelves in the supermarkets, we are reminded how vulnerable we are when valuable sources of food run out. Earlier this year it was eggs; sometimes it’s carrots, bananas and fresh meat. Most recently, it was fresh milk. Thankfully, there are now alternatives such as Dunkley’s filled milk and a variety of imported, lactose-free options. But what if this isn’t always the case? What if a political or environmental crisis prevents the container ships from leaving the United States?

In reading about the issues faced by Green Land Farm, which supplies the majority of Bermuda’s fresh milk, I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. Every summer, there seems to be a milk shortage, and the overwhelming stench of manure has affected residents in Smith’s for several years now. Whenever it rains, a slurry of faeces pours on to the Store Hill area of the Railway Trail, as well as into some neighbouring properties. Every now and then, an article appears in this newspaper about animal welfare concerns within our dairy herds — and, last year, a member of the public even reported finding dead heifers at Spittal Pond.

What is the Government doing about this? What exactly was wrong with the milk quality at Green Land Farm recently? Who is paying for the clean-up when the manure spills out of the farm?

The decline of our dairy industry has been a long-running concern, which successive governments have failed to address with any meaningful action.

Nearly ten years ago, in June 2016, a Bermuda Dairy Industry Strategy was published. This acknowledged that there had been a 30 per cent decline in output from Bermuda’s dairy farms between 2007 and 2015, but it declared that: “The trend can be reversed with a partnership of government and dairy farmers as outlined in this strategy”. It also proclaimed that the “implementation of more cost-efficient production methods, increased production and product diversification will build a sustainable dairy sector over the next five to ten years”.

At the time, the Government also said: “Fluid cow’s milk is still widely regarded in the Western world as an important component of the diet, especially for growing children.” The Government should be doing everything in its power to ensure this essential dietary component returns to our shelves safely.

Read more here: https://www.royalgazette.com/opinion-writer/opinion/article/20250917/kim-smith-where-is-the-dairy-strategy-for-bermuda/