Trinidad and Tobago is moving to reduce its reliance on imported chicks and hatching eggs, as the country continues to deal with poultry supply challenges.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has issued an Expression of Interest for a large-scale poultry breeding and hatchery facility to be established here through a public-private partnership.
The facility would produce fertile eggs, breeder stock and day-old chicks locally for both the broiler and layer industries.
The move is aimed at strengthening the local poultry value chain while reducing the impact of disruptions to international supply chains.
In the short term, The Netherlands has been approved as an additional source of hatching eggs and live chicks, joining the United States.
The Ministry says having another approved supplier will reduce the country’s vulnerability to disruptions from a single source.
It says the longer-term goal is to establish local hatchery capacity, helping to strengthen food security, conserve foreign exchange and provide greater stability for farmers and consumers.