Guyana is ramping up poultry production in light of the Bird Flu outbreak and global food supply challenges, President Dr Irfaan Ali said in a live broadcast on Thursday.
The President acknowledged that these challenges have placed tremendous pressure on the poultry industry worldwide. However, Guyana is witnessing a significant increase in demand for poultry products, including hatching eggs, table eggs, and meat.
As a result, President Ali noted that the country has also seen remarkable growth in local production.
“But when you look at the pace of growth in the national demand for these products, you will see that on the supply side, we have some challenges that we must mitigate. One of the major challenges facing the industry globally today is Bird Flu,” he stated.
President Ali stressed the importance of understanding the implications of this for Guyana’s local and international markets, particularly as more than 52 million hatching eggs are imported annually, with demand set to increase this year.
“Almost all of those hatching eggs come from the US, primarily from the Georgia and Miami areas. These regions have not yet been affected by Bird Flu, but we are facing major problems in the rest of the US, where some estimates suggest hatching egg production has declined by 40 per cent. In some instances, entire production systems have had to be shut down to prevent the spread of Bird Flu,” the President explained.
He added that demand is expected to rise further, as unaffected regions in the US will be sourcing supplies from those still in production, impacting the global supply chain.
In terms of global meat production, some estimates predict a decline of up to 33 per cent.
“This is taking into account a crucial factor—the second-largest producer of meat and eggs globally is Brazil. The US and Brazil control most of the global market. Currently, Brazil is not affected by Bird Flu, but if that changes, we will face severe disruptions in the global poultry market. We need to plan and take proactive measures against these risks,” President Ali cautioned.
Fortunately, he noted, Guyana has managed to produce 5.5 million table eggs locally, helping to offset potential price hikes and imported inflation caused by global challenges.
The President highlighted that Guyana is working to increase broiler meat production, as demand is expected to rise sharply this year.
“We’re supporting local farmers and the poultry industry to ramp up production,” he stated.
Additionally, while Guyana had never previously produced hatching eggs, the country successfully produced one million last year in a pilot programme. Authorities are now working towards achieving self-sufficiency within four years.
President Ali revealed that significant investment will be made this year, with support for a private sector consortium aimed at increasing local hatching egg production.
