Guyana working to increase production of broilers, eggs as US hit with bird flu

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As the poultry sector faces significant challenges in the United States of America – one of Guyana’s major supplier of hatching eggs – the Government of Guyana is working to mitigate the effects on the local market. This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who during a live broadcast on Thursday, explained that almost all of Guyana’s hatching eggs are imported from Georgia and Miami, USA.

He noted that over 52 million hatching eggs are imported annually. This year, the number is expected to increase even as US production is down by 40%.

“When you have a situation where the US which is a major player in the market, having such a big impact, then of course they will have to meet their local demands and of course this will have an impact on the global suppl chain,” the president explained.

International news have reported that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly price data, showing that the average cost of large grade A eggs is the highest in 45 years. The egg-price surge stems from H5N1 avian influenza—or bird flu—hitting poultry producers hard this winter. The increase came after a new version of the virus emerged in wild migratory birds in September 2024 and then jumped to domestic fowl.

Guyana’s other supplier of hatching eggs is Brazil. While that country is not currently affected by the bird flu, Dr. Ali pointed out that it is important to prepare.

In a pilot project in 2024, Guyana managed to produce one million hatching eggs. The government is looking to invest in this industry to meet local demands. “We’re looking to see how in about 3-4 years we can be self-sufficient in the production of hatching eggs. So this year, we will have heavy investment and support to the private sector consortium in building out the industry so that we can increase more of the hatching eggs that we produce locally,” the President noted.

He said the Government is also working with private farmers to ramp up meat production as demand increases. “When you look at the meat production globally, some estimate have the production declining by as much as 33% and this is taking into consideration a very important fact,” the President outlined.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture has established an “actionable task force” to liaise with the world animal health organisation and the US to keep abreast with what is happening and implement measures to cushion the effects.

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