Panama #1 Chicken Consumer in Latin America

Panamanians consume an average of 75 pounds of chicken per capita each year according to recent National Aviculture Association reports, making it the leading consumer of chicken in Latin America. And, consumption is steadily on the rise.

In 2008, 70,411,198 chickens were slaughtered.  An increase in chicken sacrifice has already been reported in 2009.

Leading fast food poultry-players include Pio Pio with 53 branches (year end 2008) and Kentucky Fried Chicken with 22 branches.  Popeyes started over in the Panamanian market in 2008 with six existing branches and plans for a total of 10 more by 2012.

Grupo Melo S.A., who owns Pio Pio, is the largest poultry producer.  Its raising and fattening farms hold 1 million chickens and the Manuel E. Melo plant can process up to 4,000 pounds of chicken meat per hour. With a population 3,360,474 consuming 252,035,550 pounds of chicken a year, the plant could then produce the needed chicken in just under 63,009 hours.  Panama also imports chicken.

In 2007, a four legged chicken was discovered at harvesting by the Grupo Melo staff.