Poultry raising is one of El Salvador's most stable traditional sectors, enjoying steady growth throughout the economic ups and downs of the past four decades.
Today, the business is a vital provider of jobs.
"We employ 8,500 people directly and another 68,000 indirectly," says Agustín Martínez, chairman of El Salvador's poultry raisers' association, Asociación de Avicultores. "Poultry also accounts for 1.6 percent of GDP and 13.5 percent of the agricultural sector," he adds.
"The key to success is taking people into account, especially when they are as productive as our workers," says Mr. Martínez, who also directs two major poultry firms. He sees employee welfare as vital to the country's overall development.
But uncertainty looms as negotiations for a trade agreement with the United States gather pace. Farmers hope the final deal will not bring a flood of American poultry to the local market.
