Farmers able to meet local demand for chicken

The Barbados Agricultural Society says Barbadian consumers need not worry about availability of poultry products after a St. John farmer lost about 30,000 chickens due to heat stress over the weekend.

The Barbados Light and Power Company has since shared its side of the story after the electricity at the poultry farm was cut for non-payment.

The company in a statement said it was unaware there was a commercial operation at the location, as it’s not normal practice to disconnect customers who are registered as farms without exhausting available options. Service has since been restored.

Despite the loss, Chief Executive Officer of the BAS James Paul believes farmers will be able to meet local demand.

Since the video of the dead chickens at the farm went viral, suggestions linking the incident to bird flu were dismissed by agriculture officials on island.

Mr. Paul wants farmers to be vigilant and pay attention to bio-security.

About The Author