Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

Jamaica is now self-sufficient in egg production, with more than 400,000 eggs being produced daily, according to president of the Jamaica Egg Farmers Association (JEFA), Mark Campbell.

And a new egg pasteurising plant , which is being built at a cost of $35 million, is to be opened by the end of November.

The new plant will enable the JEFA to meet the demands in the tourism sector for pasteurised eggs. This, he said, will meet the necessary food safety requirement and reduce food borne diseases that is required in the hotel sector.

He said the membership of JEFA currently owned at least 500,000 layers.

But while production is at its highest, Mr. Campbell pointed out that Jamaicans consume less than one egg per person weekly, which is lower than other countries in the Caribbean. In countries such as Japan, United States and the United Kingdom, an average of six or seven eggs per person are consumed weekly.

As a result, JEFA will be launching a major marketing programme to promote the benefits of eggs to increase local consumption. The programme will target schools through the Jamaica 4-H Club programme in its initial stages.

Outdated myths

"There was some outdated myths about eggs not being good for you, but eggs are just wonderful to have," the JEFA head argued.

"This will satisfy the food safety requirements that the hotels want to institute," Mr. Campbell said.

He added that the liquid egg requirement in the tourism sector is estimated at six million eggs per year.

Asked what is the potential growth prospects for the industry, the JEFA head said, "the industry I think is going to expand exponentially. With the huge hotels being built along the north coast and with the offsetting of the liquid egg plant, we expect that within another two to three years we will begin to export the pasteurised egg to other parts of the Caribbean."