According to the Minister of Agriculture, Floyd Green, chicken meat will be on the menu for Christmas. This follows the country’s shortage of baby chicks caused by the pandemic. With the coronavirus outbreak, there has been an unusual demand for chicken meat from families, supermarkets, businesses and restaurants.
There have also been concerns about food security. With the shortages of certain food items, many prices have risen as well as certain items low on supermarket shelves due to hoarding.
Minister Green who spoke briefly, after attending a meeting with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority in Western Jamaica on Saturday is reassuring the public that there will be no shortage of the meat come Christmas.
In August, the Jamaica Broilers Group said it would be supplying more baby chicks, so small farmers can meet their demands. The group was only providing supermarkets and restaurants with the meat because there was not enough to supply everyone.
Small farmers supply up to 40 per cent of chicken meat to Jamaican consumers. And with government’s policy directive to reduce its importation, farmers can feed from this.
Green says farmers are very uneasy and reluctant towards the adverse market but the Ministry has launched a programme for them to be compensated consistently.
CVM LIVE‘s Jamaila Maitland reports:
