The Guyana Poultry Producers Association is calling on the Government to urgently address the smuggling of chicken over the country’s eastern and southern borders
Poultry producers have expressed alarm at the increased visibility of smuggled chicken on the local market.
Checks with retailers revealed that the smuggling is done by city based-persons well known for this kind of activity. Stabroek News has made enquiries of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) about what is being done about the smuggling but there has been no official response.
Sources say that surveillance and enforcement are being frustrated by the smugglers’ connections with persons of authority.
Poultry producers are concerned about increased smuggling activities. It is affecting investments in the local industry as planning and forecasting becomes very difficult, even the importation of hatching eggs becomes hard to plan leading to shortages and decline in local production. In consequence smuggling activities is disruptive to our national and regional goals of achieving food security, a source close to the industry said.