Despite week-long complaints of scarce quantities of chicken and smaller birds in stores, poultry officials on Friday insisted there was no cause for alarm and urged against panic buying.
Predicting a return to abundant supplies of poultry in three weeks, they acknowledged to Barbados TODAY that farmers were facing unexplained problems with the birds’ growth rates and promised further investigation. But they were adamant there was no chicken shortage.
“We have been getting reports that there is not enough chicken in the supermarket and we had a [virtual] meeting earlier this week with the Minister of Agriculture about the matter,” said President of the Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers’ Association (BEPPA) Stephen Layne. “It was not conclusive so I asked a wider group [of stakeholders] to have a discussion on the matter next Tuesday so we can have a clear industry position. You see, some people are saying one thing but then when you look at the shelves you are seeing a different result. So we have to find out what exactly is going on.”
Layne said that after a full investigation, he would be in a better position to explain why consumers were having challenges sourcing poultry.
He explained that one of the three major poultry suppliers was still experiencing issues that led to a significant fall in output but this was offset by increased production from small farms and the other two producers.
He said he expected to gain further insight into the challenges the producers are facing, in Tuesday’s talks.
Poultry processor Amir Juman, a BEPPA board member, whose Fason’s Foods is one of the industry’s big three, dismissed rumours of a shortage.
“The birds’ performance is about six to ten days behind and the reasons behind that are unknown at the moment. We are actively investigating why the birds are not growing as they should. It is coming across as a false shortage. We say false because there are a lot of birds being reared at the moment and it is very possible that when this issue levels out, there would be a saturation in the market,” he said.
Urging consumers not to panic buy poultry, Juman said: “It is not anything to be concerned about. In the third week of this month, things should level out.”
Layne also said that despite the challenges, there was no indication of a poultry shortage.
“From the number of chicks that are being produced, there should not be a shortage, unless there has been an exceptional consumption rate in the past weeks, and that is something that the data would have to point to,” the BEPPA president added. “Given the present state of the economy, I can’t say that consumption has been extraordinarily high. And then we would have to get the numbers from the visitors staying on the island. That, too, would indicate if the consumption of poultry is higher. So a real investigation needs to be done and we are going to have those discussions next Tuesday.”
Juman would not be drawn into identifying the likely cause of the low production levels:
“There are a number of factors that could contribute to this problem, the exact reason is unknown and it won’t be fair to pin it down to one particular reason at this time. The poultry industry is trying its hardest to level out the playing field and improve things for the consumers,” he said.
But several small farmers have identified problems with poultry feed, with some reporting that they believed the quality of feed was affecting the birds’ growth.
Denisha Mayers-Gardner, senior commercial manager of Pinnacle Feeds, the country’s main feed supplier, declined comment to Barbados TODAY on the matter.
On the availability of eggs, Layne said the shortages experienced late last year had eased and there was no longer a need to import any eggs as was the case in December.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
