Caribbean Poultry Association

McCook’s Pen, St. Catherine,
Jamaica
Tel: 876 943 4376,
Fax 876 943 4322
Website: www.livestockboard.org

The Caribbean Poultry Association (CPA) was established in 1999 to promote the development of the Caribbean broiler and table egg industries. Its activities revolve around the pursuit of four main objectives:

1. to improve the competitiveness of the industry;
2. to collaborate with Governments to improve public sector services to the industry;
3. to promote trade & domestic policy supportive of the industry’s development; and
4. to promote and represent the industry in national, regional and international fora.

The CPA was formally incorporated in Jamaica in April 2000 and is recognized by the CARICOM Council on Trade and Economic Development (COTED) as the voice of the regional industry. There are currently 18 members, 15 poultry companies and 3 national associations from 9 CARICOM countries which altogether account for over 70% of the region’s production. The Officers of the Association are rotated on an annual basis.

1. President – Robin Phillips, Supermix Group, Trinidad and Tobago
2. Vice President – Bernhard Bergen, Belize Poultry Association, Belize
3. Treasurer – Robert Levy, Jamaica Broiler’s Group, Jamaica
4. Corporate Secretary – Vernon Weekes, Pinacle Feeds, Barbados
5. Executive Director – Robert Best, Trinidad and Tobago

Current Members are:

• Belize Poultry Association – Belize
• Jamaica Broiler’s Group – Jamaica
• Caribbean Boiler’s Group – Jamaica
• Wincorp International – Jamaica
• Jamaica Egg Farmers Association – Jamaica
• Antigua & Barbuda Poultry Association, Antigua & Barbuda
• East Caribbean Group – St. Vincent
• Caribbean Agro Industries – Grenada
• Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers Association – Barbados
• Chickmont Foods – Barbados
• Pinnacle Feeds – Barbados
• Supermix/Trinity Group – Trinidad and Tobago
• Nutrmix Group, Trinidad and Tobago
• WGM Group – Trinidad and Tobago
• Mastermix of Trinidad – Trinidad and Tobago
• Guyana Stock Feeds – Guyana
• Bounty Farms – Guyana
• Suriname Poultry Association – Suriname

The Activities of the Association

Since its inception the CPA has been very active in pursuing its objectives and has achieved the following

• CPA Industry Competitiveness Improvement Programs

Developed projects to improve competitiveness including the supply of competitive benchmarking information to the regional industry, the provision of technical assistance to producers, and is planning to host a series technical workshops to improve the industry’s marketing and operational efficiencies.

1. Strategic Workshops & Schools – The CPA has hosted a series of industry/public sector workshops to develop strategy and schools to elaborate the regional industry development plans and teach its members modern industry capabilities to improve regional competitiveness. These include:

• Caribbean Poultry Industry Food Standards, Food Safety, Avian Health in Trinidad & Tobago, Mar 2000
• Live Broiler Production Competitiveness, Barbados, Mar 2002
• Tunnel Ventilation School, Jamaica, Apr 2002
• Table Egg Production & Marketing Workshop, T & T, Nov 2002
• Broiler Processing & Marketing Workshop, Mar 2003
• Table Egg School, T & T, Aug 2003
• Live Broiler Production Competitiveness, Belize, Mar 2004
• Broiler Processing & Marketing Workshop, Jamaica, Jul 2004
• Table Egg School, T & T, August 2004

2. Avian Health & Food Safety Surveillance & Reporting Programs – The regional industry needs to monitor and improve the status of its avian and human health. The following are proposed for the regional poultry industry

• Poultry Industry Food Safety Surveillance Programs
• Avian Health Surveillance Programs
• Hatchery & Feedmill Surveillance Programs

3. Industry Protocols – The CPA is working with various Canadian and Caribbean agencies – the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Canadian Egg Marketing Board, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Caribbean Regional Organization for Quality and Standards and the University of the West Indies to develop several generic Caribbean protocols which will become the industry standards for the Caribbean Poultry Industry. To a lesser extent, other agencies from the EU and the USA are also involved in the discussion about the development of these protocols. The IICA is involved in collaborating technical assistance from the US and Latin America.

A

1. Broiler Grade and Labelling Standards – CROSQ, CFIA, CPA
2. Table Egg Grade and Labelling Standards – CROSQ, CEMA, CFIA, CPA
3. Poultry Feed Standards – CROSQ, CPA

B

Broiler Meat Processing Food Safety Protocols – UWI-SVM, CFIA

1. Product Recall Protocol – UWI-SVM, CFIvA
2. Generic HACCP For Commercial Broiler Processors
3. Code Of Practice For Cottage Processors
4. Draft Broiler Processing Regulations

C

1. Broiler Farm On Farm Food Safety Programs – UWI-SVM, CFC, CFIA
2. Egg Farm On Farm Food Safety – UWI-SVM, CEMA, CFIA

D

1. Avian Diseases Surveillance Program

E

1. Hatchery Sanitation Program – UWI-SOVM, CFIA
2. Feed Mill Sanitation Program – UWI-SOVM, CFIA

F

1. Good Agricultural Practices – CPA Broiler Farm Production Manual
2. Good Agricultural Practices – CPA Table Egg Farm Production Manual

4.National Poultry Industry Competitiveness Improvement Programs – The CPA is implementing several Industry Competitiveness Improvement Programs, which are designed to be collaborative industry/public sector programs, which with the help of various international and local technical assistance and funding agencies will implement the protocols developed above in iii.

• GPPA/CPEC – Guyana Poultry Industry Improvement Program 2002
• GPPA/CPEC – Guyana Poultry Industry Improvement Program 2003
• BPA/CPEC – Belize Poultry Industry Competitiveness Improvement Program 2002
• SPA/CPEC – Suriname Poultry Industry Competitiveness Improvement Program 2002
• JEFA/CPEC – Jamaica Egg Industry Competitiveness Improvement Program 2002
• PATT/LLPB/CPEC – T&T Poultry Industry Competitiveness Improvement Program 2003
• BEPPA/CPEC – Barbados Poultry Industry Competitiveness Improvement Program 2003
• OECS/CPEC – OECS Egg Industry Competitiveness Improvement Program 2003

Policy Development

Initiated a Caribbean Poultry Industry Trade Competitiveness Study, which was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank. Collaborated with CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery to hold a regional Consultation on the Trade Competitiveness of the Caribbean Poultry Industry, St George’s, Grenada, September 2001 to begin crafting trade and domestic policies which will support the development of the industry.

Representation

Represented the industry in regional meetings of the Council of Trade and Economic Development (COTED) Ministers of CARICOM, the Alliance of Ministers of Agriculture of CARICOM, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) to participate in the development of policy for the industry.

Industry Information

In addition the CPA maintains an email service which keeps the regional poultry industry, other agro industry leaders and policy makers up to date on development in the global and regional industry.

The CPA recognizes the imperative of collaborating with the public sector in this new globalized environment and seeks to work closely with our colleagues in the public sector to develop all our projects.

We are also resolved to maximize the use of the resources available to the regional agro food sector to implement the Industry Development Strategy being pursued by the industry. In this regard we have sought and have received growing support from technical and financing agencies such as the IICA, the FAO, CDB, CEDA, CDB, CDE and EBAS.

The Caribbean Poultry Industry at a Glance

The Caribbean Poultry Industry makes an important contribution to the regional economy in the following ways

1. Agro Industry Diversification

• Sales Value & Growth – In 1999 the industry produced 110,000 m broilers valued at 360 m USD which places the industry in the top 3 agro-industries in CARICOM. Contribution to manufacturing and agricultural GDP is estimated to be 135 m USD. Moreover, unlike many other agro-industries the poultry sector has been grown by over 35% in the last 10 years.
• Regional Production – Production is spread across the region with the eight largest states producing 40 – 100 % of their domestic consumption.
• Production Units – There is are some 30 commercial meat processors, 3000 commercial farmers, 35 hatcheries and 30 feed mills in the region. In addition there are some 4000 small independent processors and 10,000 small and subsistence farmers in the region.
• Investment – The replacement value of the investment in the industry is estimated to be in the order of 300 – 500 m USD, and an additional 10 – 15 m USD is being invested every year to improve capacity and efficiencies.
• Industry Linkages – The industry has important linkages to other agro-industries as it utilizes the output of 16,000 acres of corn in Belize, 8,000 of rice in Guyana and Suriname, the soya bean meal produced in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, the poultry offal meal produced by most poultry processors, coconut oil in Guyana and spent fast food fat in Jamaica. It provides economies of scale for the production of other livestock feeds. It is a major supplier of quality fresh chicken to the quick service restaurant sector.
• Meeting Consumer Needs – Processors have been increasing the range, quality and prices of chilled, pre cut, pre prepared pre cooked products being offered to consumers.

2. Rural Development

• Rural migration and disruption of tourism and urban infrastructure
• Low barriers to entry allow for important small scale production of broilers.

3. Regional Food Security

• Importance in local diet – Per capita consumption of chicken in 1999 in the Caribbean is 40.39 Kg per annum, on par with the USA and above the average of industrialized countries at 24 Kg per capita and developing countries at 9.00 kg per capita. Poultry comprises 86% of the regions meat consumption compared to 40% – 60% for most industrialized countries.
• Strategic production of food – 65% of chicken and 50% of animal protein consumed in region is produced by the industry
• Employment – It provides direct employment for over 30,000 people not including employment in the production of associated corn, rice and supporting services
• Rural Protein Distribution – The existence of local rural production improves distribution of food into rural areas – always fresh never too farm from farm to market
• Foreign Exchange – Foreign exchange savings are realized where local rice, corn, protein meals and fats are used.
• Food Storage – It provides the only strategic storage of food in the silos of the industries grain terminals and feed mills which can hold between 6 – 12 weeks supply of grain in the larger CARICOM states.

KEY POULTRY INDUSTRY STATISTICS 2001

Comparison of Key Agro Industry Ex Factory Sales
Sugar Production – 450 m USD
Rice Production – 360 m USD
Poultry Production – 360 m USD
Banana Production – 165 m USD
Citrus Production – 29 m USD
Per Capita Consumption
Poultry Consumption – 40 Kg per annum
Chicken as a Proportion of All Meats – 86%
Sales
Retail Sales – 415 m USD
Ex Factory Sales – 360 m USD
Farm Cash Receipts – 240 m USD
Processing and Farm GDP – 135 m USD
Regional Supply
Chicken Consumption – 265,000 MT
Chicken Production – 175,000 MT
Chicken Imports – 95,000 MT
Chicken Exports – 750 MT
10 Yr Growth in Production to 1999 – 35%
Poultry Processing
Processors – 30 Plants
Small Scale Processors – 4,000 Shops
Hatcheries – 35 Plants
Feed Mills – 30 Plants
Grain Terminals – 5 Terminals
Soya Bean Plants – 3 Plants
Trucks – 500 Trucks
Assets Employed – 300 – 500 m USD
Poultry Farming
Broilers Produced – 110,000 Broilers
Commercial Poultry farmers – 3,000 Farms
Small Scale Chicken Farmers – 12,000 Farms
Acres Corn in Belize – 8,000 Acres
Acres Rice in Guyana/ Suriname/ Trinidad – 16,000 Acres
Manure Produced For Vegetable Farming – 20,000 MT

Robert A Best
Caribbean Poultry Association
September 2001