Agriculture Ministry seeking extension of import waiver on eggs as sector continues to recover

The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated that it is seeking an extension of the waiver of taxes on eggs imported into Jamaica, as the country continues to rebuild the sector amid devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The Ministry said the waiver is set to expire on Saturday, February 28, but, given current production data and recovery projections, it plans to approach the Ministry of Finance to extend the waiver until the end of May in the first instance to ensure full market recovery and price stability.

In a statement on Monday, the Agriculture Ministry outlined that production data confirm output for the first half of 2026 is projected to be 30–40 per cent below the average production levels of the last five years.

It stated that although production continues to improve month by month, projections indicate that monthly output is not expected to surpass 2025 levels until August 2026, when clearer year-over-year gains are anticipated.

“This targeted and time-bound intervention has helped and will continue to moderate prices while domestic production capacity is being restored,” the Ministry said.

“It must be emphasised that the livelihood and economic viability of our egg farmers are paramount in the Ministry’s consideration regarding egg importation and, as such, this measure is continuously monitored to ensure that Jamaican egg farmers and consumers are not placed at a disadvantage within the market,” it stated.

The Ministry noted that when Hurricane Melissa affected the sector, the egg industry was still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

It pointed out that following Hurricane Beryl, the Jamaica Egg Farmers Association indicated that production was expected to normalise within approximately six months.

However, supply did not return to pre-Hurricane Beryl levels, resulting in some hotels being unable to access their regular allocations and supermarkets implementing purchase limits, the agriculture ministry stated.

It added that Hurricane Melissa in 2025 significantly compounded these challenges, with reported losses of approximately 400,000 laying hens, substantially reducing national egg output.

The Ministry noted that its post-Melissa market assessments indicated domestic egg supply would decline by approximately 40 per cent, with an estimated recovery period of eight to 12 months.

As a result, the Ministry approved limited egg imports as a temporary measure to ease supply constraints until local production normalises and to provide relief to consumers in relation to prices.

To this end, a waiver was sought on import duty, additional stamp duty and GCT for imported eggs, which was approved by the Finance Ministry.

The agriculture ministry said it will continue to monitor supply levels and market conditions to safeguard stability as the sector advances toward full recovery.

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