Lots of chicken for Christmas
Published:Wednesday | November 11, 2020 | 12:18 AM
There will be more than enough chicken meat on Jamaican dinner plates for Christmas.
That assurance was given on Tuesday by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green after fielding questions from opposition members of parliament, who learnt that poultry producers were the hardest-hit segment of the livestock industry after recent rains.
Overall losses to the poultry sector were put at $12 million.
“In relation to the sufficiency of chicken meat, based on forecast numbers, we will be good for the Christmas,” said Green, adding that the production of chicken meat would be at record levels for the main suppliers – Jamaica Broilers and Caribbean Broilers.
The ministry met with representatives of both companies, as well as wholesalers and distributors, to discuss industry trends last Tuesday, he disclosed.
Feedback from the poultry suppliers revealed that the demand for baby chicks was higher than for the corresponding period in 2019, with both companies reportedly ramping up production to satisfy the growing appetite.
“The demand that the companies are seeing for baby chicks has actually outstripped the demand last year this time when there was no COVID, so they have to increase their supply,” the minister said.
Green said that job losses linked to the coronavirus crunch had forced many Jamaicans to venture into chicken rearing for subsistence as well as for a source of income.