Cape Verde Poultry Giant Halts Production Amid Portugal Floods
The largest poultry and egg producer in Cape Verde, Sociedade Industrial de Produtos Avícolas (Sociave), has announced it must suspend production through the end of April. The disruption follows devastating storms and floods in Portugal that have crippled the supply chain for hatching eggs.
Supply Chain Crippled by Portuguese Storms
João Santos, Chairman of the Board at Sociave, confirmed that the company has been unable to import hatching eggs from the Leiria region of Portugal, a critical source for Cape Verde’s poultry industry. These eggs are typically transported to the island of São Vicente for incubation.
“Due to the floods in Portugal, specifically in the Leiria region, we have been unable to import hatching eggs for poultry production,” Santos told Rádio de Cabo Verde (RCV). “With the floods in Leiria, there were supply problems, and this will have repercussions on our production.”
Impact on Local Markets
While the company expects a significant drop in production over the next three weeks, Santos assured consumers that immediate shortages would be mitigated. “We already have chicks that were born a week ago, so we can guarantee that at the end of the month there will be chicken on the market,” he noted.
To stabilize the market in the interim, Sociave has released approximately 40,000 eggs from its current stock. This move is intended to prevent the price gouging and speculation that hit the country earlier this year.
“We want to maintain a permanent dialogue of information to avoid speculation, because we know that eggs were being sold a month ago at exorbitant prices,” Santos added.
Devastation in Portugal
The supply crisis is a ripple effect of the extreme weather that has battered mainland Portugal since late January. A series of powerful depressions—Kristin, Leonardo, and Marta—unleashed three weeks of torrential rain and flooding. The storms have claimed at least 19 lives, injured hundreds, and displaced thousands more.
The Leiria district, located in the hard-hit Central region, serves as a hub for the agricultural exports Cape Verde relies upon. The storms caused billions of euros in damages, destroying homes, businesses, and infrastructure, while leaving many areas without power, water, or communication.
Image: Pexels – Mark Stebnicki
