Price slash stirs up chicken squabble

THE announcement of a drastic slash in chicken prices to consumers appears to have stirred up a squabble of sorts. Sunday Newsday exclusively reported that in the wake of Friday’s 2004/2005 Budget, Fine Choice Meats Ltd of San Raphael announced it will reduce the price of all chicken parts by 55 percent effective today. The announcement came in the form of a statement from WGM Group of Companies Ltd (parent company of Fine Choice Meats) president/chairman Yusuff Mohammed. Mohammed said his company no longer supported any statements made by the Poultry Association of TT, which opposed Government’s plans to reduce the prices of chicken and turkey parts.

However, WGM general manager Jerry Ramdass yesterday questioned the authenticity of Mohammed’s announcement. Ramdass told Newsday he had no idea where the statement came from and WGM has not yet analysed the Budget. Against this background, Ramdass said he was concerned about the potential confusion which Mohammed’s statement could cause among consumers. He advised the population not to take the price changes in chicken and turkey parts identified by Mohammed, to be genuine. Attempts to contact Mohammed were unsuccessful.