June 15, 2010

 

 

Poultry suppliers have stated that chicken prices have not increased, as some have complained, but rather returned to normal.

 

Marketing Director of Arawak Company, Robin Phillips said chicken prices before now, were discounted due to a surplus.

 

"Chicken prices were depressed right after Carnival because of the glut. People were actually getting chicken at heavily discounted prices. Now the glut period is over, and the price has returned to normal; it should not go up much more," he added.

 

Similarly, vice president of Nutrimix, Ronnie Mohammed, added that chicken prices are what they should be now.

 

He indicated however that they sell their chicken  to retailers at US$4.75-US$5 per pound and other companies have different prices depending on factors such as transport costs. The price increase has caused a ripple effect in the poultry industry.

 

Poultry retailers said they were forced to increase their prices because they paid more from the wholesalers. Manager of Indar's Meats and Poultry, Siparia, Bobby Indar, said that the present supply of chicken was not enough.

 

"Chicken sizes are pretty small now. We currently sell our chicken at US$4.50 per pound, but because chicken companies have increased their prices, we will be increasing by US$0.25 per pound from next week," Indar said.

 

President of the Supermarket Association, Baliram Maharaj, said prices increase whenever there is a shortage in supply. He described supermarkets as "price-takers". "Whenever wholesalers increase their prices, supermarkets follow suit," Maharaj said.  However, he urged consumers to purchase legs and thighs instead of whole chickens, until the price is lowered again.

 

Meanwhile, Minister of Legal Affairs, Prakash Ramadhar, assured that they were looking into the matter. "Our objective is to reduce food prices, and ensure that consumers get quality foods. It will take a while to get things settled, but we are dealing with it promptly," he said.