Workers on the production line at the Jamaica Broilers processing plant, Spring Village, St Catherine. - File

Jamaica Broilers Group yesterday signalled that it would be reducing the prices of all its Best Dressed Chicken products by $4.50 per kilo as of Wednesday.

After announcing the planned price decrease yesterday, Chris Levy, Jamaica Broilers senior vice-president for operations, told The Gleaner that the price reduction in the cost of grain in the United States allowed the company to reduce its poultry prices.

"We really have to do it on a shipment-by-shipment basis of corn," Levy said. "As you know, the corn crisis has come down from the highs in the last few weeks, so that has enabled us to reduce the prices of our products."

Feedstock

The corn, which is imported from the US, is used in feedstock for the chickens and is critical in the production of poultry.

Despite the proposed decrease in the cost of some of the company's products, Levy acknowledged that the prices would have to be determined on a shipment basis. He said the cost of grain would have to be monitored on the stability of the US market, which has cooled down from the record highs many experienced in recent months.

"Where the corn market will go is anybody's guess," he said. "Right now, because it's such a direct input, if corn prices go down, we can bring our product prices down. But if they go up, unfortunately we will have to pass on the costs."