Pluck shops: Chicken supply at risk

Unless the Government intervenes, the more likely it is that consumers could face a possible shortage of fresh chicken the longer the lockdown continues, said president of the TT Pluck Shop Owners Association Rasheed Karim, on Tuesday.

But marketing director of Arawak Robin Phillips said there is no shortage of chicken in the market.

In a release, Karim said the covid19 lockdown is “dealing a severe blow” to the local pluck shop industry.

He called on the Ministry of Trade and Industry to step in with a rescue plan to save what he said were hundreds of jobs in the labour-intensive industry.

The association, he said, would ensure local breeders stay afloat by supplying fresh chicken to hundreds of thousands of consumers.

“In the long run, the nation will not have to scramble to import chicken in the near future which is certain to trigger a critical foreign exchange problem.”

Karim said the government could stimulate the failing industry by adding fresh chicken to the hampers being distributed to people severely affected by the lockdown.

He said a ”commonsense approach” would be to engage the pluck shops to provide fresh chicken to families entitled to hampers.

“Chicken is the most popular meat consumed by the local population. It is relatively cheap and the industry is sustained by local poultry farmers and pluck shops.

“It would make good sense to do what is practical to benefit the industry by saving jobs, supplementing the diet of hamper and food relief recipients. We would also be dodging a bullet by avoiding what could turn out to be a serious food crisis in the coming weeks,” he said.

But Phillips said chicken is available on request from all the producers in the country and TT has more than adequate supplies for the domestic market

“Any amount of chicken you want, you can get it. There are more than enough chicken heads at major poultry producers in the country.

"They are managing it so that they have a continuous supply in the market."

He said while the country is challenged by the covid19 pandemic, the industry is sustainable and can meet the national demand.