Heat wave results in egg shortage

Whether you like them scrambled, boiled, or sunny side up, eggs are a staple in the Belizean diet. But you might have noticed that lately eggs are hard to come by and when you do find them, your local grocer might limit you to a dozen. Well, according to major producers in Spanish Lookout, the reason for the shortage is that a heat wave we experienced at the end of April has had disastrous effects on local laying hens. Henry Brown, manager of Country Foods in Spanish Lookout, says a number of his chickens died and the production in the survivors dropped sharply. Obviously this is a problem that can’t be fixed overnight, as younger hens will need time before they can start laying as many as their predecessors. Egg producers say it will be several weeks before things are back to normal. According to officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, most of our eggs come from the Mennonite communities with major producers located in Spanish Lookout, Blue Creek and Shipyard.