Aid in Action
Rural Enterprise Development of the Poultry Industry: Bridging the Gap
USAID makes interventions towards improving production
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Thursday, August 30, 2007
USAID Jamaica
De-feathering of chicken using a defeathering machine.
The Challenge Small-scale poultry production represents 35% of total poultry meat produced in Jamaica. The REACT Project was eager to train farmers on the proper methods of slaughtering and processing their poultry. In addition, rural farmers were encouraged to obtain their Food Handlers Permits as the food service industry demand certain standards of broiler meat for their customers. Hygiene is the most important factor in disease prevention. Proper cleaning can eliminate 90% of all diseases. It is the farmers’ responsibility to ensure that only healthy birds are slaughtered for human consumption. A major challenge is the marketing of chicken by small-scale broiler farmers.
Initiatives USAID made interventions towards improving the production of broilers by farmers. Three slaughterhouses were built in St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and St. Catherine and equipped with bleeding cones, stainless steel tables and defeathering machines. These slaughterhouses were placed in communities with fairly high concentrations of small broiler farmers who were encouraged to use them. Workshops in each of the project parishes were held on “Slaughtering and Processing of Broilers” in order to sensitize the farmers to the proper methods.
USAID Jamaica
Public Health Inspectors participate in a training workshop along with REACT
Results Over 200 broiler farmers were trained during 6 workshops on “Slaughtering and Processing of Broilers” in St. Elizabeth, Manchester, St. Catherine & St. Thomas. Following on those workshops, 4 field days were conducted during which 48 farmers participated. Farmers were shown the humane way of slaughtering the broilers and how to examine the bird for quality control and to properly remove the guts from, wash, chill and package the bird. A major result of the training of the farmers is the improvement of the marketing of chicken. The result is a high demand for their chicken at an increased price. Farmers have since started to expand their broiler operation and improve their standard of living.