At its 46th Meeting on October 9, 2025, Chairman Hamant Mahabir and the Board of Directors reaffirmed the Caribbean Poultry Association’s (CPA’s) commitment to expanding and diversifying the poultry industry.
As part of its Strategic Plan to boost broiler meat production by 200,000 tonnes by 2045, the CPA recorded a 3% growth in 2024 and projected a further 5% rise in 2025. Annual output is expected to reach 340,000 tonnes, accounting for 80% CARICOM’s consumption in 2024.
These incremental gains provide benefits to all industry stakeholders, including small, medium, and large operators in the grain, broiler, breeder, egg, feed, and value-added product sectors and the wide range of input and service providers.
To advance the Region’s Food and Nutrition Security agenda, the Board commended the successful execution of the CPA’s Eighth International Technical Symposium and Exhibition, held in Jamaica from May 13–15, 2025. The event drew over 200 regional and international delegates and received resoundingly positive feedback, particularly for its technical presentations on innovations within the poultry industry.
Through these symposia – alongside the development of farming guidelines, delivery of targeted training programmes, and expansion of its digital footprint – the CPA continues to strengthen stakeholder engagement. It remains committed to advocating for policy support and a responsive regulatory framework that reflects the evolving dynamics of the regional agricultural market.
Last year, the CPA commissioned an independent study on the Socio-Economic Impact of Jamaica’s Poultry Industry, the findings of which were presented by Ernst and Young Services Limited at the Symposium. This first-of-its-kind regional report confirmed that traditional GDP measures underestimate agriculture’s full value. The poultry sector provides livelihoods for about 392,000 people, contributes J$62.6B in wages, and has a total economic impact of J$300B. Poultry accounts for 85% of Jamaica’s livestock output, with small and contract farmers responsible for 40% of production. Notably, every 1% rise in broiler production raises GDP per capita by 2.6%.
The Board registered its appreciation to CARICOM’s Ministers of Agriculture endorsement of further independent studies on the poultry industry’s socio-economic impact in other Member States, and for recognising the importance of implementing the CARICOM REGIONAL STANDARD – Specification for Poultry and Poultry Products to ensure food safety requirements are met for all poultry sold in the retail market.
The Board also noted with pride that Best-Dressed Chicken of Jamaica Broilers Group received the Farmer of the Year award at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis (September 29-October 3, 2025), following last year’s win by another CPA Member, Jamaica’s CB Group.
Despite the challenges faced in import competition, supply chain issues, and rising costs, the CPA is forging ahead to meet the targets that have been set for poultry industry under the CARICOM 25 by 2025+5 Initiative. Now in its 25th year, the CPA has served as an anchor in advancing a world-class agro-industry that provides the most affordable and consumed animal protein, with regional consumption at 52 kg poultry meat per person annually.
In this regard, the CPA acknowledges and commends recent initiatives amongst its members which include:
- Barbados – new animal feed mill commissioned; increased installed production and processing capacity.
- Belize – new tunnel ventilated housing for breeders. Belize is self-sufficient in grain, broiler meat and eggs.
- Guyana – additional acreages cultivated in soyabeans, meeting 30% of domestic feed requirements for soyabean meal and oil; increased capacity for broiler and table egg production with tunnel ventilated housing.
- Jamaica – new Air Chill plant of 12,000 birds/hour capacity; further investments in sustainable energy; expanding intra-regional exports of value-added poultry products.
- Suriname – developing advanced technology in climate control housing for brooding chicks.
- Trinidad and Tobago – investing in new animal feed mill; additional tunnel ventilated houses, stocked at 45,000 birds each. (CPA Press Release)
