Haiti ban spurs slaughter of 1.0M hens, cut in egg production

Santo Domingo.- Agriculture Minister Luis Ramon Rodriguez Wednesday announced an agreement with egg producers to cut production and adapt to local demand, for which the Haitian market will no longer be a priority.

Rodriguez said one million laying hens no longer at peak output will be slaughtered, to balance supply to the demand much faster.

Among the other measures announced by the official at a meeting with producers figure the purchase of around half a million chickens to distribute meat in the local market through social programs and government-operated cafeterias, at a cost ranging from 10 to 15 million pesos.

Rodriguez affirmed that despite continuing the talks between Dominican Republic and Haiti toward a solution to the ban on poultry levied by Port-au-Prince, Santo Domingo will focus on capturing other markets.

At the meeting were representatives of the National Egg Producers Association, the Independent Producers Association and of the Chickens Growers and Eggs Association (Aprohuevo).