QPP sales are down by 13% for 2020!
So, as you heard, Quality Poultry Products is now exporting to the Caribbean. During our interview with General Manager Raymond Barkman, he shared that despite this new exportation venture – business has been tough for the poultry producer and they have recorded a production decline of two point eight million pounds of poultry as a result of COVID-19. Barkman says, however, that while business is bad, it is not all doom and gloom as they had anticipated and they have big plans for the New Year:
Raymond Barkman, General Manager, Quality Poultry Products
“We have definitely not gone back to normal levels yet. I believe that if tourism comes back the way it was before then we would be back fully to the normal level so with that being said it is bad for us right now and we are hurting because we are down in sales. But at the same time I am also on the side where I am surprised that it is not worse, you know what I mean, when COVID came we were so scared that people wouldn’t eat chicken.”
Andrea Polanco
“It is the most affordable protein right now?”
Raymond Barkman
Raymond Barkman
“Yeah – that is right. But we are still down and obviously this export won’t bring that back up right now but we believe if the tourist come back then we will be right back to where we were before COVID.”
Andrea Polanco
“Wow – I imagine this translates to jobs and other things being affected?”
Raymond Barkman
“Yes and remember this is a long line because you have the farmers who raise the corns, the farmers who raise the chickens and if we don’t sell as much chickens then the barns have to stand empty longer and so forth. So, obviously it is a long chain reaction and obviously we don’t process as much and if we don’t process as much if we don’t process as much chicken and obviously we don’t have as much jobs, that is correct.”
Andrea Polanco
“Was this Christmas bad or good in terms of sales for Quality?”
Raymond Barkman
“It was of course a lot less than previous years but at the same time we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t worse. I don’t have the turkey percentages at the moment to know exactly where we stand but I do know that when COVID came we completely cancelled an order of turkeys that we would normally take so I know we were quite a bit short but I don’t have the percentages at the moment. But at the same time people were still buying the turkeys especially the smaller ones so those went a lot faster as well. The bigger ones aren’t selling but he small ones move pretty good.”
Andrea Polanco
“The New Year – is there anything new Quality is looking to do?”
Raymond Barkman
“Oh yes! We are going to launch a new line in 2021 which I am very excited for but I won’t say what it is yet but we will keep it as a surprise. I think Belize will like it a lot so there is always things coming and happening and we will make sure that stays that way as well.”
