KINGSTON, Jamaica — Despite a persistent drought and the lingering effects of Hurricane Melissa, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green has reiterated that there will be adequate supplies of chicken meat, eggs and vegetables for the Christmas period.

“Our assessment is that, despite the severity of the drought and the significant impact it has had on production, Jamaica is positioned to have adequate supplies across most of our major food lines for the Christmas period. There will be tighter availability in some individual commodities, but the overall production outlook is encouraging,” said Green.

He gave the assurance Tuesday while making a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives.

Green noted that poultry remains one of the most important sources of protein for Jamaican households, especially during Christmas. He said the poultry industry has made a significant recovery.

“This is particularly noteworthy when we recall the impact of Hurricane Melissa, which resulted in the loss of approximately 700,000 broilers and 400,000 layers,” he said.

The minister shared that for the period November 14 to December 26, broiler meat production is forecast at approximately 22.3 million kilogrammes.

“That would be approximately 30 per cent above the hurricane-affected Christmas period of 2025 and close to the levels recorded in 2024,” said Green. He highlighted that weekly broiler production is expected to peak at approximately 3.5 million kilogrammes during the week ending December 12.

“Based on the current forecast, we therefore expect Jamaica to have adequate supplies of locally produced chicken for Christmas,” he added.

In terms of eggs, the minister said the recovery in egg production has also been significant, although it is important to recognise that this recovery is not yet complete.

“For November and December, egg production is forecast at approximately 38.1 million eggs, with approximately 20.1 million eggs projected for December alone. That represents approximately 650,000 eggs per day during December,” Green said.

This would place Christmas egg production at approximately 2024 levels and significantly above the hurricane-affected levels of 2025. But, Green cautioned that the national layer flock remains below its earlier level, a situation that could result in some tightness in the egg market during periods of peak demand.

Green also assured that based on the latest production forecasts, field observations and planting activity, “We expect supplies of most vegetables and fruits to be adequate during the Christmas period.”

However, this is contingent on weather conditions remaining favourable, and the country not experiencing a major adverse event.

Green pointed to encouraging signs across a number of commodities, with field assessments indicating increasing supplies of cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, string beans, plummy tomato and sweet pepper, driven by increased planting activity following localised rainfall. Additionally, sweet potato and yellow yam are expected to have relatively stable supplies into the Christmas period. And supplies of escallion have been increasing and are expected to continue improving into January.

The minister said cucumber supplies are expected to improve, while increased supplies of tomato are anticipated during December.

“We are also projecting increased availability of hot pepper during December. For cabbage, increased supplies are expected as current plantings mature, while additional interventions are being undertaken in vegetable production to support availability through the Christmas period,” he said.

Despite being upbeat, Green cautioned that the severity of the drought that has affected the country this year must be put into context.

“This was no ordinary dry spell. The conditions Jamaica has been experiencing are unlike a normal drought cycle. We have been affected by exceptionally dry conditions which significantly disrupted our usual rainfall patterns. What made the situation particularly concerning was its timing. Jamaica was experiencing worsening drought conditions during what should have been our wet season,” he said.

Notably, rainfall across the island in September and October was below the 30-year average.

“That is significant because water availability is critical to agricultural production. Water sources were under pressure. Rainfall was significantly below normal and farmers were trying to establish and maintain crops through one of the most difficult dry periods we have faced,” Green noted.