Vanuatu Poultry Loses 6,000 Eggs Daily After Earthquake

March 6, 2025 9:54 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Nicholas Mwai.

Vanuatu Poultry, the main supplier of eggs in Port Vila, is facing a significant decline in production following the devastating earthquake on December 17. 

The poultry farm, which supplies one of the largest supermarkets in the capital, Au Bon Marché, has reported a decrease of 6000 eggs per day. 

Owner of Vanuatu Poultry, Mathieu Laurent, confirmed the drop in production, explaining that before the earthquake, the farm produced 17,000 eggs daily. However, in the aftermath of the disaster, the supply to shops has fallen to just 11,000 eggs per day. 

“The poultry has dropped by 6,000 eggs per day,” Laurent said. “Some of our layers died, and others are not producing as expected. Since they are getting older, we have seen this decline.” 

According to Laurent, approximately 5000 layers perished due to the earthquake, while others, though still in use, are not laying eggs at their usual rate. 

Additionally, the earthquake caused extensive damage to the farm’s infrastructure.  

“We lost some cages and our water system. It’s a big loss for Vanuatu Poultry,” he said. 

To restore production levels, the farm is looking to import new chicks from New Zealand. However, Laurent acknowledged that this will be a lengthy process.  

“We are looking into ordering chicks, but it’s a complicated procedure. At the moment, New Zealand is not ready to supply them, so we are still waiting,” he said. 

Despite the challenges, Laurent assured customers that eggs remain available. “We are still supplying eggs daily. They are on the shelves, but just not in the same quantity as before.”