A call has been made for consumers to support local and regional chicken producers to improve the poultry sector and decrease the food import bill.
This came from Colm Imbert, acting Prime Minister, who delivered the feature address at Tuesday’s opening of the Seventh International Technical Symposium and Exhibition hosted by the Caribbean Poultry Association at Hyatt Regency.
Imbert said the most significant challenge facing the poultry market is the importation of cheap, dark, frozen meat from the US and Canada.
He said from a local standpoint, the North American imports take away market share from local producers who can produce enough of this country’s meat.
“We must thus work together to counter this and continue to examine and update our tariff barriers and trade mechanisms to protect and support our local poultry producers,” Imbert stressed.
He noted the poultry sector contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP and there was an expansion in the number of broilers during the first two quarters of fiscal 2023 when compared to the same period in fiscal 2022.
“The increase was attributed to an increase in demand for chicken from the fast-food industry as well as the growing trend by grocery chains to offer pre-cooked and ready-to-eat chicken to its customers. The sector also plays a crucial role in employment, directly supporting tens of thousands of regional jobs.
“The continued growth and development of the poultry industry is imperative not only to meet the increasing demand for protein as our populations grow but also to ensure that this growth is environmentally sustainable and economically viable,” Imbert said.
Minister of Agriculture Fazal Karim, who also spoke, said considering global economic disruptions, there is a need to strengthen food security and the poultry sector plays a crucial role.
“By increasing local production, improving feed efficiency, and reducing reliance on imports, we are taking significant strides towards self-sufficiency,” he emphasised.
Offering a regional perspective, Assistant Secretary-General, of Economic Integration, Innovation and Development, at the Caricom Secretariat Joseph Cox said sustainable poultry production is key to attaining Caricom’s Vision 25 by 2025. Speaking virtually, Cox pointed out that one of the foremost goals of sustainable agriculture is to ensure food security and improved nutrition for all and stated there is a concentrated effort on the poultry value chain to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by next year.
“The approach, which must be pursued for the poultry industry, focuses on promoting increased production and productivity through investment, digitisation, and adaptation of new technologies. These investments must encourage interventions, which seek to amalgamate the efforts of the Member States and the private sector,” Cox explained.
He listed corn and soya production in Belize and Guyana, and the offering of land for agricultural development in Suriname supported by an environment that will allow for the movement of agricultural workers throughout the Region, as examples of collaboration.
Economic Development
Earlier in the opening session, CPA president Hamant Mahabir said creating a secure poultry sector in the Caribbean is the cornerstone of economic development.
“We must adopt strategies,” he said. “The ability to adapt and thrive is paramount. We are committed to enhancing production.”
The CPA was formed in 1999 by a collective of poultry producers who faced common challenges in their industry. As a regional advocacy group, the CPA’s focus on business growth and insights supports the continued desire for self-sufficiency, resilience, and prosperity. This year, the theme of the CPA conference is “Sustainability and Resilience in the Caribbean Poultry Sector”.