Common fowl demand soars

Residents of Bullet Tree district in St Catherine have hatched an unlikely hustle -- selling common fowl to the Chinese workmen repairing their battered roads.

"Them love the meat, because every time dem come, dem buy," said one Jamaican who's been assisting the road crew, amused by the steady appetite of the visitors for local chicken.

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited, the normally quiet rural community was buzzing with laughter and the clack of domino tiles echoing through powerless yards.

Despite widespread devastation across the island, spirits in Bullet Tree, located near Old Harbour in St Catherine, were high.

"We nuh have no light, but a regular we out pon the front like this. Melissa nuh really affect we that bad, and we feel it for the other parishes," shared 64-year-old Albert McCarthy.

Just up the road, the news team witnessed a curious trade - a Chinese roadwork agent handing over cash for "one crocus bag wid four fowl!"

The young seller, who goes by Trigga, grinned as he confirmed business was booming.

"Dem seh the meat sweeter, so when dem come mi just ketch the fowl and sell dem. Last week mi sell dem three fi $500 a one," he said, before adding with a chuckle, "Dem get it cheap last week so mi sell dem four this time, $1,000 fi one."

According to Trigga, catching the birds is as easy as the money he is making.

"Mi just ketch the fowl once dem come and seh dem want it. How mi do it is, mi just use one next rooster throw pon dem, and mek it easy," he explained.

All around the district, fowls strutted through the lanes and yards -- a clear sign that this new trade won't be drying up anytime soon. Though the Chinese workmen couldn't speak English, their broad smiles and thumbs-up gestures said it all as they loaded their fresh catch into the truck.

"Mi know dem a come back next week," Trigga said confidently -- ready, it seems, to keep the fowl business flying high.