Vanuatu Poultry Loses 6,000 Eggs Daily After Earthquake

Vanuatu Poultry, the main egg supplier in Port Vila, has experienced a significant drop in egg production since the destructive earthquake on December 17th. This disruption has impacted the availability of eggs in the capital.

The poultry farm is a supplier to Au Bon Marché, one of the largest supermarkets in the capital. It has been reported that the farm's daily egg production has decreased by 6,000 eggs. Mathieu Laurent, the head of Vanuatu Poultry, confirmed the production decline, explaining that the farm was producing 17,000 eggs per day before the earthquake.

"The poultry's daily egg production has decreased by 6,000 eggs," Mr. Laurent stated. "Some of our laying hens have died, while others are not producing at the expected rate. We were already seeing this decline as they got older." This dual impact has created a challenging situation for the farm.

According to Mr. Laurent, approximately 5,000 laying hens died as a result of the earthquake, and the remaining hens are not laying eggs at their usual rate. Furthermore, the earthquake caused extensive damage to the farm's infrastructure. "We lost some cages and the water supply system. This is a big loss for Vanuatu Poultry," he said.

To restore production levels, the farm is looking to import new chicks from New Zealand. However, Mr. Laurent acknowledged that this will be a lengthy process. "We are considering ordering chicks, but it is a complicated process. Currently, New Zealand is not ready to supply them, so we are still waiting," he said. Despite the challenges, Mr. Laurent assured customers that eggs are still available. "We are still supplying eggs daily. They are on the shelves, but not in the same quantities as before."