7 News Belize

Last year, getting your Christmas Turkey was a nightmare, and many folks had to settle instead for big chickens. That was because avian influenza had wiped out the local population of turkeys and imported turkeys came in late, and large. Well, this year, you shouldn't have that problem: local turkey stocks still aren't back to 100%, but they are at 50%. And to fill out the market's demand, Quality Poultry is importing Carolina Turkeys. But, will they be oversized, overpriced and overdue like last year? Well, the imported birds are more expensive because they pay 80% duty, but the importer tells us that unlike last year when they were stuck with supersized turkeys, this year he is importing large, small and medium. And, unlike last year when they landed in Christmas week, this year, Quality Poultry didn't take any chances. The imported turkeys are already in country. They cleared customs this evening and should be in freezers tomorrows. Of course, there could still be scarcity of the small turkey you're looking for because consumers will rush the local turkey, which are more affordable and fresh. But because those are in limited supply, those who can't get local will then buy out the smaller imported turkeys - leaving only big ones behind. So, the moral of this story is, buy your big, or small bird early.

In other poultry news, Quality says it has slashed the price of chicken from 2.48 a pound in April, to $2.32 per pound for December.