The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture has announced measures to strengthen the local egg market and support aviculturists, including special promotions in major supermarkets. Secretary of Agriculture Irving Rodríguez Torres stated that these initiatives aim to protect the local poultry industry from the pressure of imported eggs at lower prices. The department has been working with producers, distributors, and supermarkets to address the industry's situation, particularly during the summer season when demand decreases due to school recess.
As a result of a meeting between the Department of Agriculture, industry representatives, and supermarkets, an agreement was reached to develop promotions to incentivize the consumption of local eggs. Econo started the campaign on June 26, offering two dozen local eggs for $5.00, and Mr. Special and Pueblo will join the initiative on July 2 and July 15, respectively.
Rodríguez Torres expressed his gratitude to the supermarkets for their commitment to supporting local aviculturists. In addition to this agreement, the Department of Agriculture is implementing other initiatives, such as a direct purchase of local eggs using a federal subsidy of nearly $1 million to incorporate the product into food boxes distributed to non-profit organizations, aiming to alleviate excess inventory.