Ian Parsard, senior vice president – operations and finance, Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG) – said yesterday that the company experienced a 17 per cent increase in demand in 2015. In order to meet this new level of consumer need the company has constructed a new hatchery and asked farmers to increase production levels.

Parsard said that increased demand for Best Dressed Chicken should be met by the end of next week, noting that he attributed the surge in demand to a “stronger economy”.

The JBG executive said that the investment cost of the new hatchery and other details relating to production will await the hatchery’s official opening next week. The company’s website indicates that the existing hatchery is in St Ann.

In addition to its new hatchery, it indicated that Best Dressed Chicken contract farmers are also expanding their operations and “at the end of the first half of this year, are scheduled to invest over $700 million in additional poultry houses,” Parsard said.

In addition to its new hatchery, JBL said it has introduced a double shift system at The Best Dressed Chicken processing plant.

Parsard said the company did not increase its prices during the holiday season.