The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries says poultry supplies should improve in the coming weeks as increased chick availability enters the production cycle, amid reports that consumers are having difficulty obtaining their usual quantities of chicken at some retail outlets.
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Ravi Ratiram said the ministry is closely monitoring the situation and engaging poultry producers, hatcheries, importers and other stakeholders.
He said the tightening of supplies was linked to a combination of factors, including exceptionally hot weather, rather than a fundamental shortage of production capacity.
The ministry said chicken remains available on the market, although some consumers may be experiencing difficulty obtaining their usual quantities at particular supermarkets and retail outlets.
Ratiram said the extreme heat had placed significant pressure on poultry production, prompting some farmers to introduce additional heat-management measures and reduce bird placements to protect livestock.
‘Temporary reductions in placement are a prudent measure to protect bird welfare, maintain healthy growth and minimise heat-related losses,’ he said.
The minister warned that maintaining normal stocking levels during periods of extreme heat could result in increased mortality and reduced production.
‘As weather conditions improve, placement levels are expected to return to normal,’ he said.
Ratiram said he had been advised that chick availability is expected to increase within the next two weeks.
However, he cautioned that the additional chicks would not immediately translate into increased supplies of chicken, as they must first move through the normal production cycle.
The ministry projects that poultry supplies will progressively increase and return to full levels approximately three weeks after the expected increase in chick availability.
It therefore expects the current tightening of supply to ease over the coming weeks.
The ministry’s position comes as some poultry farmers have reduced the number of birds placed on farms because of the extreme heat.
According to the Trinidad Guardian, Broiler Growers’ Association president Sudesh Ramkissoon said farmers who would normally house about 10,000 birds were reducing placements to as few as 7,000 to protect them from heat stress and avoid potentially heavy losses.
He said operating farms at normal capacity under the current conditions could result in bird deaths, slower growth and lower production.
Farmers are also using additional cooling measures, including sprinklers on poultry-house roofs, while managing water supplies, Ramkissoon said.
Some businesses have also reported difficulties securing their usual quantities. Pappy’s Fried Chicken said it has had to ration chicken at its outlets, while Prestige Holdings Limited said its KFC and other restaurant operations had not been affected, according to the Guardian report.
The Agriculture Ministry, however, maintains that chicken remains available on the domestic market and expects supply conditions to improve as production levels recover.