Consumption of poultry products in Bolivia shows sustained increases, as reported by the newspaper El Día, outlining the consolidated data recently submitted by the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade (IBCE). According to this official agency, per capita chicken consumption increased by three kilograms in the last year to 38 kilograms, while every inhabitant of this Andean country was fed with 143 eggs in 2013, 13 more eggs than in 2012.
In terms of production, Bolivia reached 1,500 million eggs (11 percent more) and 180 million birds. Broiler production in 2013 amounted to 396,000 metric tons, 35 percent more than in 2008. This good time for the poultry industry is also the case in neighboring Paraguay. As reported by the newspaper ABC Color, the projection for 2014 is around 58 million slaughtered birds, eight million more than in 2013.
These figures were provided by Pilar Zubizarreta, president of the Paraguayan Association of Chicken Producers and Exporters (APPEP). Zubizarreta said that "currently, the domestic demand of the poultry sector is growing and one of the reasons has to do with the recovery status of cattle, giving impetus to the sector because part of the beef produced is exported, domestic prices rise and then chicken meat emerges as a second option due to its quality, because it is lighter, healthier and has a better price."
