Production line at Jamaica Broilers Plant in Spring Village, Bushy Park, St.Catherine. - FILE PHOTO
AS CHRISTMAS approaches, Jamaica's poultry industry is reporting record levels of production - with industry-wide production averaging just over two million kilos per week.
Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture show that production of chicken meat has been hovering just below the two million kilos per week level since early October, and climbed above that mark during the week of November 5, when more than two million kilos were produced.
The highest amount of Jam-aican-produced poultry is scheduled to be made available during the week of December 24, when 2.3 million kilos are expected to be in the local marketplace. Industry sources are confirming that production will be sustained above the two-million kilos each week up until the week of January 6, after which it is projected to settle at a consistent weekly production level of approximately two million kilos.
According to Christopher Levy, vice-president for poultry operations at Jamaica Broilers Group - the country's largest single producer of chicken meat - this level of production is more than sufficient to meet the traditional spike in consumer demand that occurs in and around the Christmas season.
PRODUCING CONSISTENTLY
"In fact, since November 2003 when Jamaica's poultry industry first produced approximately 10 million kilos of chicken meat in a single month, the local industry has been producing consistently at levels that are more than adequate to meet local demand in any given period, failing any negative impact from natural disasters," he added.
Annual local production figures for the poultry industry over the past five years have read as follows:
2001: 82.3 million kilos
2002: 83.2 million kilos
2003: 91.6 million kilos
2004: 97 million kilos
2005: 105 million kilos, projected to January 6, 2006
Jamaica's poultry industry enjoys annual sales of some J$13-billion and provides employment for approximately 12,000 independent small farmers who supply just under 40 per cent of the poultry that is consumed locally, as well as direct and indirect employment for another 8,000 persons in the poultry industry.
