A surge in demand for chicken, driven by a shortage of fresh fish, has led to poultry supply challenges for some Barbadian consumers and at least one major fast food chain, Barbados TODAY has learned.
Despite concerns raised by consumers, a top industry official gave an assurance that there was no chicken shortage. But the Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers Association (BEPPA) acknowledged that the industry is facing difficulties in meeting the heightened demand.
On Thursday, BEPPA board director Amir Juman said there were two main factors impacting the industry, which resulted in consumers being unable to source the quantity of fresh chicken they usually would at supermarkets and other outlets. He explained that there had been a significant increase in demand for chicken over the past weeks as hundreds of protein lovers sought alternatives to fish which has been scarce since Hurricane Beryl affected the island’s fishing fleet.
“I would not say there is a shortage of chicken. It is a matter of there being more demand for chicken because of the shortage of fish,” Juman said. “The demand has risen islandwide for chicken. It is the next fresh product available.”
In July, Hurricane Beryl destroyed 220 of the 312 active boats at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex, the island’s largest fish landing site. This has left Barbados reliant on limited cold-stored fish and the small number of boats still able to venture out for fresh catches.
Juman noted that the summer heat also impacted chicken production, leading to higher mortality and slower growth rates for poultry.
“We are now coming out of the hot summer months, and this had an impact on mortality rates as well as growth rates,” he said, adding that supply should improve by the end of the month.
Popular fast food chain Chicken Barn announced on social media that two of its outlets, Bay Street and Worthing, would remain closed on Thursday due to chicken supply issues. The company.
Co-director Peter Hynam explained to Barbados TODAY that the restaurant got a fraction of the chickens it had ordered.
“I ordered 3 000 chickens last week for this week. To date, I have only gotten 360,” he said.
Hynam said the supply issues could force additional closures if they persist.
“We have been having a challenge this week. Hopefully, if I can get the number of chickens I need, we will open tomorrow but it doesn’t look very promising,” he said. “It is affecting the restaurants across the board. For tomorrow I will need about 1 200 to 1 300 chickens for the weekend as it is a busy period.”
While the Bay Street and Worthing outlets remain closed, the chain has kept its Warrens, Wildey, Coverley, and Black Rock branches open with adjusted hours.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
