The rising cost of grain on the world market along with other economic and environmental impacts over the years is bringing the poultry industry to a standstill.

Dr Colleen Phillips

In an interview with the Agency for Public Information, veterinary officer Dr Coleen Phillips said feed costs and other production costs are severely hurting poultry farmers in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“…The price increase right now is actually crippling the farmers… for all of us it means … [fewer] eggs,” Dr Phillips said.

Dr Phillips said though Government would try to provide subsidies given the circumstances, it is still a case where “we would not be able to maintain the subsidies and insisted that for farmers and the industry to remain sustainable, an increase in the price of eggs is inevitable.

A flat of eggs is currently sold at EC$20 however, Dr Phillips noted “…for them (poultry farmers) to really make a profit they would have to sell for probably $28 a flat…, there is no way the industry can remain viable if we sell at $20 a flat, the farmers are not going to make it and the industry will crumble.”

Dr Phillips said interventions such as public awareness is one of the ways they are trying to make the consumer understand why the pending increase is necessary. (API)