One of Guyana’s leading fast food establishments, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has been affected by the recent chicken shortage, causing it to limit the meals that are available.
One of the KFC outlets in Guyana
In a public notice, the fast food franchise informed customers that some of the combos they are accustomed to ordering will not be available owing to the poultry shortage.
KFC stated in the advisory, “Due to the current chicken shortages, some of your favourite finger lickin’ good items may be unavailable at times.”
In a subsequent social media post, it was announced that chicken strips, sandwiches, and wings would be unavailable on some occasions.
The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) confirmed last week that it had received reports of a chicken shortage in the local market and the situation was being monitored.
In a statement, the Authority said based on its records, there has been a reduction in the number of cases of hatching eggs imported when compared to 2018, which perhaps could be the cause of the shortage.
Additionally, some farmers have also been complaining of reduced growth rates and higher mortality, which may have attributed to the reduction of poultry on the market.
“The major players in the sector were consulted and assured that the situation would be rectified during the week. This is based on the hatching and grow-out time for the chickens. They have also assured that they are able to maintain supply to their major customers,” the statement noted.
This is not the first time for this year that Guyana’s agriculture sector has suffered from poultry and eggs-related issues.
Records show that by June of 2018, 42,455 eggs were hatched compared to 36,514 eggs for the same period this year – a significant reduction of almost 6000 eggs.
Back in May, the GLDA issued a public notice to all traders, indicating that it is a criminal offence to bring eggs into the country without proper documentation. If persons are culpable of the offence, they will be presented before the courts to face charges.
Prior to that, the GLDA hatchery was closed on account of the unusual deaths of ducklings. It was later mentioned that the Muscovy breed was under threat, especially those two to three weeks of age. Subsequently, a surveillance and monitoring exercise of the birds was initiated.
