Farmers are being urged to brace for intensifying heat after a severe heatwave in Jamaica killed hundreds of laying hens, raising concerns about the vulnerability of regional poultry stocks to rising temperatures.

Now, agricultural authorities here are urging farmers to implement urgent cooling measures to safeguard their poultry stocks ahead of peak mid-year heat.

The president of the Jamaica Egg Farmers Association (JEFA), Mark Campbell, told media there that the egg industry, particularly on the south side of the island, had suffered significant losses, with some farmers losing as many as 700 fowls from the sweltering heat.