Hot sun and heavy rains have left Trinidad and Tobago consumers facing a chicken shortage.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said yesterday the shortage was being influenced by a combination of factors “rather than by a fundamental shortage of production capacity”.

“Local weather conditions have also placed significant pressure on poultry production. The exceptionally hot conditions being experienced in Trinidad and Tobago have required farmers to implement additional heat-management measures and, in some cases, reduce the number of birds placed on farms,” the ministry stated in a release.