Poultry farmers can expect foreign competition

CONSUMER Affairs Minister Camille Robinson-Regis has warned local poultry producers to expect increased competition from foreign importers unless chicken prices were not immediately reduced. At a Local Government Elections campaign meeting in Fyzabad on Thursday, a tough-talking Robinson-Regis also dismissed as “misleading and deceptive” several newspaper ads by a local poultry giant, which blamed the PNM Administration for the recent increase in chicken prices. She also disclosed that the issue had been raised with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to review Government’s import duties and other “protection” surcharges that were currently levelled against foreign producers. “This Government has between 40 to 80 percent tax protection on foreign poultry products, so that our local producers can give reasonable prices to consumers. But the exact opposite has been happening,” she said. “And if this continues, with chicken prices increasing every single day, we will protect the consumers of TT and allow people to bring in chicken at reasonable prices.” Robinson-Regis then proceeded to dismember the newspaper ads by local poultry producer, Nutrimix Limited, saying each point raised was both “inaccurate and misleading.” “They are saying that Government has increased TTEC rates by 9.95 percent, but after careful examination, we have found that fuel charges have only been raised by one percent,” she said.

The Arouca South MP, also blasted Nutrimix’s charge that the 12 percent increase in land rental at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate also led to the price increase, saying the company was “fully aware” of a potential increase when its five-year lease came up for review at the end of last year. And as for Nutrimix’s claim of increased freight costs, Robinson-Regis described the company’s July 4, 2003 invoice from Maple Leaf Food International, quoting increased freight costs in June 2003, as “highly inaccurate.” She also described the natural gas and grain price increases as “unacceptable,” saying the ministry had found every piece of information produced by the company as being “totally inaccurate.” “I wonder if we are not seeing civil disobedience being manifested in all of its forms by supporters of the Opposition party,” she said. And, in a direct reference to the impending arrival of doctors from Cuba and the United Nations, Robinson-Regis demonstrated her multi-lingual abilities by welcoming the first batch of Cubans in Spanish. “They got upset when I spoke Hindi to welcome our East Indian brothers, and now I will speak Spanish to welcome the Cuban doctors,” she said, before launching into a barrage of Spanish phrases. Robinson-Regis concluded by advising supporters to heed UNC “bombshell” candidate, Anirudh Mahabir’s advice and “vote for the PNM” and secure victory in the crucial Siparia Regional Corporation.