Arrow Should Help Secure Food Supplies

DEFA Minister Clare Barber has said the gov is confident that shelves will remain stocked this winter, saying the Steam Packet buying the MV Arrow ‘strengthens our resilience’.

Mrs Barber was quizzed over food supplies, particularly bread, with this being the first winter that the island will not have a large-scale bread producer of its own.

Responding to Arbory, Castletown and Malew’s Jason Moorhouse, Mrs Barber praised the taxpayer owned ferry operator’s service and that of local logistics companies which manage supplies from UK depots.

She said: ‘With this in mind, I am encouraged by the news that the Steam Packet has recently purchased the MV Arrow, a roll-on, roll-off cargo vessel, which has served the island very well over the last few years, particularly during the busy summer periods and which now further strengthens our resilience for daily supplies, a resilience which as we know can be frequently tested throughout the winter months.

‘Our retailers and food service businesses rely heavily on these import services, but are also experts in dealing with their own stock and supply chains for their own business success. Many also champion and stock a good range of local produce, which covers a good range of our staple foods from bread, meat, dairy, vegetables, sea food, flour and a whole range of drinks.’

Bakeries

While Mrs Barber accepted that the bakery sector is smaller, given the closure of Ramsey Bakery, she said it still has a key role to play.

However, Mr Moorhouse asked what was being done to help boost on-island production of bread and whether the gov was able to help boost this. Mrs Barber said that while her department was offering support, there ‘has been no formal requests for financial support’.

Mrs Barber also confirmed that many suppliers have extra stock of bread to ensure a provision is available for schools and the prison.

She added: ‘I would ensure people that on the whole we are very fortunate to have bread on our shelves on the vast majority of days in the year and on the very few occasions that that supply is reduced, we also have our local bakeries, which I would really encourage people to support wherever they can.’