Jamaica Egg Industry boost Production for Christmas 2015 - Why H5N2 Avian Flu in USA and Canada boosting Caribbean Christmas Market

Looks like the Egg shortages have been greatly exaggerated.

At least if Caribbean Broilers Group's Corporate Affairs Manager, Dr Keith Amiel, and JEFA (Jamaica Egg Farmers Association) president, Roy Baker are to be believed as report in the article “No Shortage Of Eggs For Christmas”, published Wednesday October 28, 2015 by Tameka Gordon, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

According to them, the Egg Industry is in recovery mode from the shortages that plague the Industry in 2014 which was a spillover from 2013 as noted in my blog article entitled “Egg Shortage in Jamaica set to continue to March 2014 - Poor Agricultural Planning to blame as Cheap Meat shortages forcing many to become Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians”.

Back then I'd concluded it was because Jamaica were switching to Eggs as a meat substitute, as the shortage seem too protracted to be just due to increase Christmas Cooking.

The shortage may have also been due to increase demand for Liquefied Eggs form the hotel Sector, who at one point contemplated increased importation of Eggs as noted in my blog article entitled “CPJ's Liquid Eggs Limited Jamaican Egg Shortage - How Imported Eggs from Hampton Creek Foods may alleviate Egg Shortage in December 2014”.

But the spread of H5N2 Virus aka Avian Flu has pretty much killed those plans for the rest of 2015 as noted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Agriculture bans US, Canadian Chicken Products - Why H5N2 Avian Flu is Shadows of 2014 Chicken Shortage during Easter 2015”.

So what is the Egg Industry doing to temper this shortage and the upcoming demand in December 2015?

Jamaica Broilers Group and Caribbean Broilers boost Egg Supply for Christmas 2015 - Why Egg Glut is still a possibility

Now it seems a new strategy is now in place as Caribbean Broilers Group's Corporate Affairs Manager, Dr Keith Amiel explains, quote: “The new layers that would have been put into production between May and June would have started laying 22 weeks [prior] and peaked 30 weeks later deliberately, so as to have a large quantity of Eggs from now going into Christmas”.

To explain this, one has to look at the numbers. Both the Jamaica Broilers Group and Caribbean Broilers have supplied egg-laying pullets (chickens specifically for egg laying) to local Egg Farmers between May and June of 2015 as follows:

1.      150,000 pullets from Jamaica Broilers Group

2.      60,000 pullets from Caribbean Broilers

As of October 2015 Production is now up as follows:

1.      1 million dozen Eggs monthly

2.      12 million dozen Eggs yearly

At this rate of production, 2015 will see record levels not seen since 2012:

1.      141 million dozen Eggs produced for 2015

2.      125 million dozen Eggs produced for 2014

3.      13% increase in egg production for 2015 compared to 2014

According to the JEFA president, Roy Baker, the last time the Egg Industry saw such numbers was during the Egg Glut of 2012, quote: “The last time that we have produced more that 141 million Eggs was about eight years ago, with the exception of 2012 when we had that terrible glut”.

So what about the rest of the Caribbean so as to avoid a glut?

Jamaica exporting Eggs to Barbados and Trinidad - H5N2 Avian Flu in USA and Canada boosting Caribbean Christmas Market

Turns out they're way ahead on that front!

Jamaica is making so many Eggs, that Liquefied Egg Production may soon be revived. Already, exports to Caribbean territories demanding Jamaicans Eggs ha increased:

1.      60,000 dozen Eggs to Trinidad by the JEFA

2.      5 trailers to Barbados and Trinidad by Caribbean Broilers

All thanks to H5N2 Avian Flu which means that chicken and Egg products from these countries are band for importation by these Caribbean Nations as well as hinted in my blog article entitled

 “H5N2 Avian Flu State of Emergency in USA and Canada - Why Jamaica on alert for H5N2 or Mongoose and Crocodile back on the menu”. 

Egg Farmers now have to decide how to price their Eggs once December 2015 rolls around, as demand may be fairly high due to increased usage of Eggs not only by Jamaica but by the Caribbean as well!

Currently the prices for Eggs are as follows:

1.      JA$220 to JA$235 per dozen at the Farm Gate

2.      JA$235 to JA$250 per dozen for Branded Eggs

Hopefully too, this'll mean not only Liquefied Eggs for the Hotel Industry, but also enough to prevent Eggs thrown away in the Riverton City Dump being sold and potentially creating a Salmonella scare as reported in my blog article entitled “SERHA warns of Salmonella laced Eggs - Why Salmonella Poisoning on the Rise as Egg and Meat Shortage loom”.

Eggs may no longer be in Shortage as we have enough to feed the Caribbean.....at least until the Caribbean starts producing their own Eggs again!