Forget chicken, go for rabbit

Over the past few weeks, the word ‘chicken’ might have left a bad taste in the mouths of many people. The recent increases in the price of chicken may have made it the least favourite type of meat. Evidence suggests that consumers are now seeking alternatives to poultry, if only to refrain from reaching deep into their pockets to pay prices many consider to be outrageous. Local meat producers have noted that beef, pork and lamb seem to be gaining ground among meat lovers, since they offer larger servings than chicken at a more competitive price.

At  “Meats and Tings” of Petit Valley, one manager noted that her customers had indeed reduced their chicken purchases, opting instead for imported beef which is being sold at $12 per pound. Pork has also increased in demand, she said, specifically loin chops which are priced at $12.50 per pound.
Customers who still insist on purchasing chicken now prefer to buy whole processed chicken rather than the chicken parts, which, she maintained are highly expensive. Ivan Mooti Persad, owner of Premium Quality Meats Limited, Couva, noted, too, that his establishment had seen an increase in the purchase of turkey parts and lamb. “Turkey wings and drumsticks are now being sold at $6.50 per pound,” he said in an interview, “whereas chicken is priced at $7.95 per pound.” “Chicken parts are also highly expensive,” Persad went on, “going for almost $9 per pound. Wings alone cost at least $9.75 per pound.” Persad revealed that the depot had been forced to increase its purchase of turkey parts to meet the public demand in recent times.

Noting that he supplied meat to caterers involved in the school feeding programme, he disclosed that they too had turned away from chicken and to lamb and turkey as alternatives. He said, “they found that they were losing money buying chicken for their menus, since they would have to pay at least $18 to $20 for chicken, while turkey is being sold at $11.” “In terms of lamb,” he went on, “the neck and shank cost $6.50, while the shoulder, which is more popular since it gives a better serving, costs at least $9.25 per pound.” These types of meat, Persad added, offer a lot more servings per meal than chicken. It is much cheaper to serve them than it is to serve chicken, he said.

While beef and lamb sales have seen an increase, Persad revealed that because of a global shortage of goat meat, sales have been slow. The duck market has not picked up, he went on, since on the fresh market, duck meat has increased by at least one dollar, most likely a reaction to the increase in chicken prices. Some have even speculated that rabbit meat may become the next “chicken,” so to speak, since the demand has increased dramatically among the populace. In addition to the fact that a shorter gestation period of 29 to 31 days contributes to more stock, rabbit meat is also now being recognised for its nutritional value.

Compared to chicken, rabbit connoisseurs claim that the meat has a higher protein content as well as lower cholesterol levels. At Rodney’s Supermarket in Arima, which is the only outlet presently offering the meat for sale, rabbit parts are being sold at $14 per pound dressed. There is also a large market for singed rabbit, where the fur is removed by burning. This yields a larger carcass (? to 3/4 pounds more meat) and a more highly flavoured meat.  Many people are now also looking at the benefits of red meat, which in the past had received a lot of bad publicity, since the consensus was that chicken was healthier. Today, pork compares favourable for fat, calories and cholesterol with many other meats and poultry. Many cuts of pork are as lean or leaner than chicken. Health experts now agree that any cuts, such as pork chops and pork roast, are leaner than skinless chicken thigh. Pork steaks or roasts from the leg are also lean choices.

Red meat has also been found to be much leaner than it was years ago since the newer breeds of livestock carry less fat. According to data taken from the 2002 Dairy, Livestock and Poultry Trade Update, in 2001, Caribbean meat imports totaled more than 200,000 tonnes, which was valued at $219 million. Broiler meat alone accounted for over half of the value and three quarters of the volume of the total Caribbean meat imports. Caribbean pork imports totaled 27,000 tonnes in that year, at a value of $45 million. Canada is the largest pork exporter to the Caribbean region at 11,000 tonnes, followed by the United States and the European Union, which exported 8,000 and 4,000 respectively. US pork imports to the Caribbean represented almost two percent of the total 2001 US pork exports, which stood at 531,000 tonnes. Since 1997, US pork exports to the Caribbean have more than doubled, which suggests an increased market penetration. Trinidad and Tobago alone represented 4,000 metric tonnes of Caribbean pork imports, with a value of $4 million, while in terms of US pork exports, it represented 1,000 metric tonnes. This had a value of $2 million.