Big demand for ducks and turkeys

Chicken may still rule Jamaican dinner tables, but St Elizabeth farmers GayAnn and Al say duck and turkey revolution is unfolding across the island.

GayAnn, who is based in Balaclava, says they barely keep up with calls that have been flooding her phone.

"People calling every day," GayAnn says again. "So we know the demand is there."

Together with her partner, Al, GayAnn has spent several years building a small poultry business, not around the usual broiler chicken, but ducks and turkeys, birds still considered uncommon on most Jamaican plates.

"I think more can be done for the market because there's a shortage," she told THE STAR.

Chicken is the most consumed meat in Jamaica, but, according to GayAnn, people are developing a taste for duck and turkey meat.

Based on data produced by the ministry of agriculture and fisheries, it was estimated that 142.5 million kilogrammes of poultry was produced during 2024. Far behind, in second place, was fish, with 14.4 million kilogrammes being produced. Pork (9.1 million kilogrammes) and beef (7.4 million kilogrammes) complete the top four. Goat meat production was measured at 426,974 kilogrammes.

Duck and turkey are considered speciality meats, often reserved for festive occasions or for buyers looking for variety.

GayAnn says their customer base includes pet stores, cooks, and communities across the Corporate Area as well as Jamaicans returning home from abroad who deliberately seek them out.

Pricing depends on age and size. Young ducks sell for about $3,500, while three-week-old turkeys go for around $3,000. Fully mature birds can fetch as much as $16,000.

"Sometimes Jamaican people say the price ridiculous," GayAnn admits. "But plenty still buy it."

She believes supermarket prices are pushing people toward farmers like her.

"Turkey expensive in the supermarket," she points out. "So people come to us."

Beyond profit, GayAnn sees the business as part of a bigger cultural shift.

"What I don't like about this country is that people only prioritise regular chicken," she says. "There are other things out here that taste just as good or that people can invest in."

The operation runs on natural cycles. Mature ducks and turkeys lay seasonally, and chicks are sold once they are strong enough, usually around three weeks old.

"It's a good business," GayAnn says.

"They have a season and a time when they lay, and from the mature ones when they make babies, that's when I sell the young ones," she said.

For now, supply remains tight. "As they start to lay, I'm looking forward to the results," she says.

"I don't have any turkey ready as yet," GayAnn explains. "People keep calling, but they just start to lay now."