Frozen chicken exempt from Jordan customs duties

“If this proposal is approved, it will be a disaster… it will destroy the local poultry industry business again,” Haidar Amairah, owner of Al Tahouni chicken. Farmers expect it will have a major negative impact on their businesses, which suffered during last year’s bird flu scare. The proposal comes in the wake of an increase in the price of white meat in the local market.

The cost of imported barley, like corn and soy beans, has been a major factor in the nearly 23% rise in prices, as chicken-feed accounts for 70% of the production cost.

Several major industry players visited the Agriculture Ministry to discuss this issue. The proposal is being studied at the higher committee for prices, which will present its recommendations to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The Agriculture Ministry and the board of trade must endorse the decision before it can take effect.