JAMAICA’S poultry industry is generating far more economic value than previously documented — some $309.6 billion, according to new research commissioned by the Caribbean Poultry Association (CPA) and carried out by EY Services, formerly Ernst and Young.

The findings were presented by Christopher Zambrano, managing partner for Caribbean Strategy and Transactions at EY Barbados, during the CPA’s 8th International Technical Symposium at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. The two-day event, held May 13-14, gathered close to 300 regional players under the theme ‘Beyond Farming: The True Impact of Poultry’.

What the study uncovered was a sector whose reach extends far beyond feed mills and broiler houses — it touches every aspect of the Jamaican economy from employment and utilities to advertising, insurance and tax revenue.

“We estimate that the poultry industry supports nearly 392,000 people through direct, indirect and induced activity,” Zambrano told the audience. “Wages totalled $62.6 billion, and broader economic linkages took that figure up nearly $310 billion.”

Those estimates, however, are likely conservative.

The study, which began in March 2024 after a year-long design phase, relied on official data, surveys and interviews; but excluded unregistered poultry farmers, a group believed to make up a significant share of the market. Zambrano said efforts to quantify the informal segment proved unreliable, prompting them to err on the side of caution.

Still, the figures represent a breakthrough for an industry long seen as a staple of Jamaica’s food economy but rarely documented with this level of detail.

Jamaica currently supplies roughly 88 percent of its poultry needs locally, with small contract farmers accounting for approximately 40 per cent of total output. Six parishes produce the majority of the country’s poultry; those parishes are also home to more than half the population which means the industry’s economic impact is tightly interwoven with community livelihoods.

EY’s analysis also found that over 100,000 Jamaicans are directly employed in poultry, supporting households of roughly 300,000 people. Spending by the sector includes $5 billion on utilities, $9 billion on transport, $1.3 billion on advertising and promotion and $1.2 billion in insurance. Statutory and income tax contributions add another $3.6 billion annually.

Beyond these visible flows, the study also modelled the sector’s macroeconomic impact. The researchers found that when broiler (chicken) production in Jamaica goes up by 1 per cent, the average income per person in the country increases by about 2.6 per cent.

Zambrano, whose team included economists and researchers from The University of the West Indies and EY’s Jamaica office, said the study drew on global best practices, including a 2020 analysis from the US Poultry and Egg Association to calculate industry multipliers.

The findings come at a time when food security remains high on the region’s agenda. The CPA study also supports Jamaica’s positioning under Caricom’s ’25 by 2025’ initiative, which aims to slash the regional food import bill by 25 per cent. That target was later revised to 22 per cent, but the urgency remains.

“Food security, post-COVID, has taken on the same level of importance as financial stability,” Zambrano said. “That’s why we took on this project, not just as accountants, but as stakeholders in regional resilience.”

Despite Jamaica’s production strength, the study noted that imported poultry — mainly low-cost cuts such as chicken back and chicken necks — still accounts for about 12 per cent of domestic market. However, local producers say that with existing infrastructure, the country has the capacity to meet 100 per cent of local demand.

Price competitiveness, long a sticking point in local versus import debates, also appears less of an issue than assumed. EY’s analysis showed that whole chicken prices in Jamaica closely follow those in the US, even though the two countries have different market systems.

“So what this study did was really focus on whole chicken because we can’t use parts… and then say chicken is cheaper in the US than in Jamaica. Chicken prices are way up here on the US coasts,” Zambrano said, pointing to the map. “But when you get into the mid-states, it’s cheaper. In the Caribbean… we are selling chicken at the same price basically.”

Beyond the economics, Zambrano said the study also highlighted the poultry sector’s adherence to health and safety standards — covering animal welfare, breeding, labelling, processing and storage — and its integration into regulated supply chains, particularly in tourism and institutional catering.

These factors, Zambrano suggests, could position poultry as a model for reform in other agricultural segments.

“These measures have ensured that poultry products are processed, bred, and marketed in line with international and regional food and safety, animal welfare, and consumer protection requirements. So, in conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, the poultry industry has a far-reaching impact on Jamaica’s economy,” he said.

Christopher Sambrano, Managing Partner of Ernst and Young’s Caribbean Strategy and Transactions in Barbados.