FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Jamaica Egg Farmers Association (JEFA) has strongly objected to a move to extend the waiver on duties for imported eggs until the end of May, arguing that such a decision would significantly harm local producers who are trying to recover from the ravages of back-to-back hurricanes.

JEFA President Mark Campbell’s concerns came after a media release from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, which indicated that an extension of the waiver — originally scheduled to end on February 28, 2026 — is now being sought through the end of May.

“We think significant damage will be done if the waiver continues until then. The original agreement was that it should end this month and that is what we will still lobby for,” Campbell said.

He maintained that if the Government decides to continue egg importation beyond this month, the duty-free concession must be removed to protect local farmers.

“If the importation is to continue beyond this month, we [are] not resiling from that position… If it is to continue beyond this month, the duty must be imposed on the egg to give the Jamaican farmer a chance to survive. If it continues to come in duty-free at the current rate, the farmers cannot compete and they will go under,” Campbell insisted Tuesday.

However, he stressed that JEFA has no interest in engaging in a public spat with the agriculture ministry.

“I don’t think it serves the best interest of the Jamaican farmer for us to continue what might be…interpreted incorrectly as a disagreement between ourselves and the ministry with whom we have worked closely and whose support for the egg farmers has been consistent,” he said.

“That’s where we are, but we are going to use the same channels we have used successfully over the years to sit down with the ministry,” he added.

He said there had been “some strategic miscalculations by parties whose commitment to an egg industry that serves all the farmers of Jamaica is in doubt”. However, he reiterated JEFA’s commitment to dialogue.

“As we have done in past, we will sit at the table with the ministry and our partners and work out a solution that will benefit both the consumers of Jamaica and the farmers,” Campbell said.

The ministry has acknowledged local egg farmers’ concerns about continued egg importation, which was initially approved in the aftermath of the hurricane. It has said, “The livelihood and economic viability of egg farmers are paramount in its consideration regarding egg importation, and as such, the measure is continuously monitored to ensure that Jamaican egg farmers and consumers are not placed at a disadvantage within the market.”

In its release, the Ministry of Agriculture said it is closely monitoring egg supply and overall market conditions following disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The ministry outlined that when the Category 5 storm struck on October 28, 2025, the egg industry was still recovering from Hurricane Beryl of 2024. It noted that following Beryl, JEFA had indicated production would normalise within approximately six months, but supply did not return to pre-Beryl levels.

According to the ministry, Hurricane Melissa resulted in reported losses of approximately 400,000 laying hens, leading to a projected 40 per cent decline in domestic egg supply and an estimated recovery period of eight to 12 months. Production data, it said, confirm that output for the first half of 2026 is projected to be 30 to 40 per cent below the last five years’ average, with monthly output not expected to surpass 2025 levels until August 2026.

The ministry also pointed to JEFA’s post-Melissa price revisions, which moved unbranded eggs from $550 to $670 per dozen and branded eggs from $580 to $700 per dozen — increases the association attributed to reduced production as well as higher logistics and refrigeration costs.

To address supply constraints and moderate prices for consumers, the ministry said it approved limited egg imports as a temporary measure until local production normalises. A waiver on import duty, additional stamp duty, and General Consumption Tax was approved by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and was set to expire at the end of February.

However, “Based on current production data and recovery projections, an extension of the waiver is being sought until the end of May 2026 in the first instance to ensure full market recovery and price stability. This targeted and time-bound intervention has helped and will continue to moderate prices while domestic production capacity is being restored,” the ministry said.

Contextualising the current situation, Campbell said it was a mistake to compare the industry’s response to recent hurricanes.

“Beryl affected the entire island, while Melissa affected only portions of the island. So the calculations as to the impact that both hurricanes would have had on the egg industry were different,” he insisted.

He noted that Jamaica’s egg industry has long operated within the principles of supply and demand.

“Jamaican egg farmers have been painful victims of this law when supply exceeds demand, more than [they are] beneficiaries when demand exceeds supply. It usually requires the destructive impact of a natural disaster to create a shortage. Because 20 years now we have been in no need to import eggs,” Campbell told the Observer.

“In normal times, the Jamaican farmer has strategically managed production to create that equilibrium which benefits both consumers and farmers. When the pendulum swings in one direction, one party is going to lose. So if it is too much egg, the farmer loses, and if it is not enough egg, the consumer is going to pay too much for it,” he said.

While firm in his opposition to extending the duty-free concession, Campbell maintained that JEFA remains committed to constructive engagement rather than confrontation as discussions continue.