Why the Jamaican Chicken Shortage of 2015 might be ending in 2016

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!