Jamaica Broilers Group’s Hi-Pro Division has launched a new Backyard Layer p rogramme for small farmers, with a breed of layer chicken known as Barred Rock. The layer is considered hardy and especially suited to backyard farming as it is able to produce efficiently in that environment. The variety is being imported into the island from Broilers’s operations in the USA.

Conley Salmon, recently appointed president of the group’s Jamaica operations, introduced the layer at the launch of the 65th Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show last Wednesday.

The Barred Rock looks like what was commonly called a Dominic fowl, and is usually ready to lay eggs in 18 weeks.

Salmon stated that as of Wednesday, the company has made the chicks, roosters and hens available to backyard farmers.

He noted that the company is always looking at ways to provide genetic improvement to the agriculture industry for efficient growth. He said, at present, there were 750,000 layers on the island, producing 600,000 eggs daily.

“We can see backyard farmers producing similarly high-quality eggs in a few years, thereby improving nutrition in the home at a very low price that does not attract GCT (General Consumption Tax),” Salmon said.

He added that backyard and small farmers currently have a good track record of producing about one million kilos of broiler meat a week.

“So they are quite capable of producing high quality eggs in the near future. At present, eggs retail for about $230 per dozen, but can be produced in the backyard for about $130 per dozen, thereby enabling families to eat healthily,” Salmon said.

“This Barred Rock bird will provide an opportunity for backyard farmers to earn supplementary income through the sale of eggs to their neighbours, just as they do with broiler meat,” he continued.

According to Salmon, in keeping with the commitment of the Jamaica Broilers Group and its Hi-Pro brand to increase agricultural production and improve efficiency, the company is seeking approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to bring into the island varieties of cattle that produce more milk per day than the current local stocks.

“These varieties of cattle could produce about 30 litres per day, given proper nutrition and care, compared to the current cattle which gives seven to 12 litres per day. The aim is to make the dairy farms more viable than they are today,” said Salmon.

He said the company wants to increase dairy production through embryo transfer, meaning eggs which have been taken from select, high-producing herds that are disease free and are from pure lines, with no genetic modification.

“Importation of embryos is more economical than the cost of shipping the cows,” he explained. “The process of developing high-producing breeds takes at least 25 years. However, with embryo transfer we can bring in fertile embryos, implant them in local cows, and see the results of increased output within five years. We have the vets and nutritionists in-house to make this happen.”

Salmon also announced that both the Jamaica Broilers Group and Hi-Pro would be again actively involved in the staging of this year’s Denbigh show.

He said the company would be launching several new products at the event. In addition, one of the main attractions at the Hi-Pro booth will be the presentation of the grand prize, a 2017 Toyota Rav4 in the current Hi-Pro Rewards competition among its farmers. As in previous years, too, Hi-Pro will sponsor the Denbigh Gospel Extravaganza, featuring some of the island’s popular gospel artistes on Sunday, August 6.