Chicken supply to increase by June

The short supply of chickens in the country is expected to improve by June 2025.

Papua New Guinea Poultry Industry Association Chairman, Chris Prestwood, said this when speaking to NBC News today.

Mr Prestwood said the country is currently experiencing a shortage in the supply of chicken and chicken products, because they have completely stopped importing chickens from Australia and New Zealand, following the outbreak of the influenza virus, or bird flu.

He said the demand for chicken and chicken products increased in the last two months, and this has resulted in them selling the extra they had in stock, which was a situation they did not anticipate.

Mr Prestwood also announced that they have invested well over K200 million to build the capacity of the local poultry industry for the last two years, and this will see an increase in local production of 40% by June 2025.

He added that PNG was mostly reliant on poultry imports for the last 50 years, but this will now change, going into the country's 50th Independence anniversary and beyond.

Mr. Prestwood also added that the current short supply is minimal, but it has been done to help prevent the poultry industry from invasive diseases, reduce import spending, while at the same time creating jobs for Papua New Guineans.

The ban on chicken and chicken products is also expected to allow local industries to go into grain production, which will be used to produce stockfeed to feed PNG's poultry industry.

Meanwhile, Mr Prestwood has also announced that the Sepik Fresh Poultry Project at Haripmo Village in the Yangoru Saussia District of East Sepik Province has been taken over by Hugo Canning, and they have invested K30 million to move the project towards its second phase.

He added that this project is one that will meet the demand for chicken and chicken products in the Mamose and Sepik region, as well as contribute to Papua New Guinea's meat demand going forward.