Jamaicans who love chicken, fret not, the shortage
that's causing the high prices may be soon over.
Minister of Agriculture Derrick Kellier has put in
place plans to address the current chicken shortage as reported in the article “Ministry
moves to ease chicken shortage”, published Thursday, January 07, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.
 |
Strangely enough, Minister of Agriculture Derrick
Kellier is still insisting that there is no shortage of chicken, despite
evidence to the contrary.
This as many people across Jamaica are now reporting
difficulty in getting chicken in the amounts that they desire to purchase as
well as price increases, exactly as I’d predicted in my blog article entitled “How
the Drought of 2015 means higher prices for Jamaican Christmas 2015 and Easter
2016”.
Also, there seems to be some strange restriction of
2lb per person, as if there is a shortage.
Now personally, I don't eat meat or chicken, but according
to the Jamaica Observer, chicken is now going for as high as JA$200 per pound,
up from the usual JA$170 per pound.
Corporate affairs manager at Caribbean Broilers
Group, Dr Keith Amie had claimed that 2 lb of chicken per person was enough to
satisfy any family as noted in the article “No
Shortage Of Chicken, Just High Demand, Says Caribbean Broilers”, Published
Wednesday December 23, 2015, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
However, this isn't possible, as 2 lb per person
will not suffice many families that are fairly large and have relatives over
for dinner, even after Christmas as predicted in my blog article entitled “How
Caribbean Broilers Group figures reveal Jamaica experiencing Chicken Shortage
in Christmas 2015”.
So what does Minister of Agriculture Derrick Kellier
plan to do about the shortage in chicken?
Chicken
shortage continues in 2016 - Ramp up production and importation is coming back
According to him, more chicken is on the way!
He's announced that production has been ramping up
at one of the larger chicken producers, Caribbean Broilers, which I'd reported
in my blog
article entitled “How
Caribbean Broilers Group figures reveal Jamaica experiencing Chicken Shortage
in Christmas 2015”.
This is actually thanks to eight (8) large chicken
farmers who supply Jamaica Broilers with chicken, whom they claim are investing
heavily in chicken production in 2016 as reported in “Jamaica
Broilers Contract Farmers To Invest $700m In New Poultry Houses”, published
Thursday January 7, 2016 by Tameka Gordon, The Jamaica Gleaner.
In fact, this investment by these eight (8) large
chicken farmers translates to some 48,000 birds or a 25% increase in capacity
to supply the market with chicken as noted by senior vice president of
operations and finance, Ian Parsard, quote: “We are looking at eight existing
farmers who would be putting up new houses, an additional five or so new
farmers who are looking to enter the business, and a couple of farmers who are
expanding on existing poultry houses”.
Not only that, but the Minister of Agriculture
Derrick Kellier has also announced that the ban on chicken importation on some
US States is being lifted.
This ban that was put in place back in March 2015
was original due to the H5N2 or Avian Flu spreading in poultry farms in the US
of A and Canada 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”.
This means that the importation of Chicken will soon
return to normal. Hopefully too, so will the price, thus ending the chicken shortage!
No comments:
Post a Comment