Paul: Poultry supply chain finally stabilising

After months of a poultry shortage that disrupted supplies to supermarkets and restaurants, Barbadians will finally get some relief, according to Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) Chief Executive Officer James Paul.

He has given the assurance that the poultry supply chain is stabilising, with chicken set to return to stores within days.

“We are coming out of it. And I want to say that we all understand what has happened. It has to be corrected. As soon as we start to get more poultry on the shelves, the crisis disappears,” Paul told Barbados TODAY.

While some consumers and businesses have faced challenges obtaining chicken, Paul rejected the notion of a total breakdown.

“I attended a few smaller restaurants, and throughout this so-called crisis, people have been able to consistently eat chicken,” he said. “Yes, there are some persons who have had challenges obtaining chicken from their traditional suppliers. But to say that the whole system has broken down, no, it has not.”

“This wasn’t a complete collapse. Some suppliers consistently delivered, and many smaller restaurants continued to operate without issue. What we faced was a series of bottlenecks that disrupted the flow of chicken, but those bottlenecks are being resolved. By next week, we’ll see chicken returning to shelves,” he added.

Despite the setbacks, the BAS head remained upbeat about the food supply. He pointed to increased investments in poultry production and ongoing efforts to modernise agricultural practices as signs of progress.

“By Christmas, Barbadians will not only see chicken back on shelves but also improvements in how we’re preparing for long-term food security,” he assured. “The light is at the end of the tunnel. Yes, there are challenges, but we’re addressing them.”

Paul attributed the current shortage to a combination of natural and logistical issues, including a heatwave earlier this year that led to the loss of 156 000 birds around July/August. He said small farmers who did not have the facilities to withstand the heat then opted out of placing birds in that period.

“That’s a massive blow to production, and it set us back significantly,” Paul said.

Adding to the strain, Hurricane Beryl disrupted the fishing industry, prompting more Barbadians to turn to chicken as their primary source of protein.

“People turned to chicken as their go-to protein because fresh fish wasn’t available. That extra demand, combined with the setbacks we were already facing, put the poultry industry under immense strain,” Paul noted.

The BAS CEO acknowledged the inconsistent impact of the shortage. He said some supermarkets faced a 50 per cent reduction in supply.

“That is not good enough. And yes, some restaurants had challenges too, but let me stress this—it wasn’t across the board. Many smaller outlets still managed to get supplies from week to week. The problem has been uneven,” Paul said, adding that bottlenecks were to blame.

He also highlighted the role of regional dynamics in exacerbating Barbados’ food security challenges.

“In the past, we could count on our neighbouring Caribbean territories to help when we faced a shortage. For instance, St Vincent was always there,” he said. “But that’s not the case anymore. I don’t think the government there is placing enough emphasis on the production of fruits and vegetables. This whole marijuana craze that has come over there has proven to be a problem. And I don’t think they have balanced the whole need for real food security in terms of trying to ensure that they maintain the production of their staples.”

However, Paul expressed hope for the future, pointing to growing investments in local production.

“We are seeing a lot of Barbadians going into poultry production,” he said.