Jamaica’s chicken industry has been around for decades and has been developed by the enterprise, investment and commitment of thousands of Jamaicans, enabled by sound policy, to the point where for the last 20 years Jamaica has been self-sufficient in its production of poultry meat and table eggs, thereby adding to Jamaica’s food security. This aspect of food security took on greater importance during COVID when the global logistics system was compromised and prevented the normal delivery of food items to Jamaica. Jamaica’s small chicken farmers increased their production to its highest ever point, providing almost 40 per cent of all chicken meat produced in Jamaica, delivering fresh, quality chicken to Jamaicans and visitors alike.

There are over 100,000 small farmers (55 per cent of whom are women) who raise chickens as a livelihood and another 5,000 who work directly in Jamaica’s chicken meat industry (contract farmers, processors, farm store operators, distributors — wholesale/retail, technical specialists — veterinarians, engineers, biochemists, logisticians, lab technicians, electricians, refrigeration technicians, accountants, management personnel, farm hands and casual labourers). There are another estimated 10,000 table egg farmers across Jamaica who produce almost five million eggs a week.

In 2023, the chicken industry in Jamaica, produced 137 million kgs of chicken meat and 21.2 million dozen table eggs (from 1 million laying hens). Imports of just over 13 million kgs of neck and back in 2023, limited small farmer market space and subsequent production. It is well established that the importation of chicken neck and back or leg quarters, the small chicken farmers of this country are the first casualties, as they compete in the same market space. A small chicken farmer raising 200 chickens for 6 weeks can earn over $90,000 profit on that flock! That is economic enterprise.

The import of corn and soya as the main ingredients for animal feed lend to an efficient and cost-effective animal feed production for all other types of livestock. With poultry feed accounting for almost 70 per cent of all feed types, it makes all other feed types economical to produce given the dilution of production and overhead costs. Not only has there been price stability in animal feeds since 2022, there has also been a price reduction by at least one of the two feed manufacturers in Jamaica in February 2024. Finished feed in Jamaica is comparable in price to similar products in the USA. See link
https://sunrisefarm.net/contact/

Additionally, there is no GCT applied to feed manufactured and sold here in Jamaica. Imported finished feed on the other hand attracts duties and taxes amounting to over 35 per cent (15 per cent duty, 20 per cent GCT, 0.5 per cent environmental levy and 0.3 per cent SCT).

The retail cost of chicken in Jamaica is lower than that in other Caribbean countries that have significant local production, such as Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

Jamaica has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of chicken meat in the Caribbean at almost 50 kgs per person per year. In a household of four, this equates to consumption of a 2.2 lbs of chicken at least 4 days per week. This, coupled with it’s price, makes chicken one of the most available, affordable and consumed proteins in Jamaica. The global average by comparison is all the way down at under 15 kgs per person per year.

The quality of Jamaica’s chicken meat is safeguarded by institutions such as the Veterinary Services Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, the Public Health Department in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Bureau of Standards in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Consumers also have access to redress and restitution in organisations such as the Consumer Affairs Commission and the courts, should that need arise and not have to worry about access to and redress from overseas entities, outside our jurisdiction.

We have seen the destructive effect of bad import policies on the milk and sugar sectors in Jamaica, and the poultry industry in Haiti. The poultry industry drives economic activity and employment in associated industries and sectors including:

Food service industry

Transportation

Cold storage

Packaging

Hospitality

Engineering and artisans/tradesmen

Logistics

Providing seed money/investing capital for other economic enterprises

The industry spends $4.7b (JMD) locally each year for goods and services.

Finally, the poultry sector is one of the success stories of Jamaica’s agricultural sector and helps to drive growth in the sector. In 2022, the sector’s production was estimated at 3 per cent of GDP. The correlation between growth in agricultural economic output and over all GDP is directly related. When agriculture grows, national GDP grows.

Let’s build it; not destroy it.