KINGSTON: The Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture has issued a ban on all poultry and poultry products emanating from parts of the United States as well as other regions, arising from an outbreak of avian influenza or bird flu in that country.
Poultry producers are warning consumers to brace for a shortage of chicken and other poultry meat.
The ministry further plans to incinerate containers of poultry and poultry products emanating from those markets on arrival at the ports to protect the local industry, the Financial Gleaner has learned.
The ban, imposed a week ago on March 12, affects imports from Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington in the United States. It also restricts supplies from British Columbia in Canada, according to a notice issued to poultry producers by Veterinary Services.
While the Veterinary Services notice did not name other areas of Canada, one local manufacturer and wholesaler, Pioneer Meat Products Limited, said its imports from Quebec has been restricted.
The company has a 40-foot container of poultry products still in the hands of its supplier, General Manager Pauline Wilson told the Financial Gleaner, because it has been unable to get the necessary approval from Veterinary Services to commence shipment.
“We are running out of raw material to service my contracts…,” Wilson said Thursday.
The Veterinary Services ban covers all poultry products whether raw, chilled, fresh or frozen; by-products that are not fully cooked; hatching eggs; and raw pet foods containing poultry; live birds; egg yolks and egg whites; feathers and offal, or entrails and internal organs, of animals used as food.
Corporate affairs manager at Caribbean Broilers Group, Dr Keith Amiel, told the Financial Gleaner on Wednesday that the spread of bird flu is now a serious concern for regional poultry producers, who are still calculating their response to the outbreak, including how to prevent contagion while protect their businesses.
“The Caribbean Poultry Association is asking for an emergency meeting of all poultry producers to consider the crisis in the Caribbean,” Amiel said, while noting that the Trinidad-based secretariat will convene the meeting.
Locally, he said, the Ministry of Agriculture has kept the sector abreast of developments.
“All of last week, all imports of chicken meat was banned. By this afternoon (Wednesday), all turkey neck and back on the wharf will be incinerated or dumped,” Amiel said.
