No beef panic, no chicken shortage

THE SUPERMARKETS’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SATT) yesterday denied there was a shortage of chicken in the country due to panic buying as a result of the recently imposed ban on beef imported from the United States.

There were reports yesterday that several chicken depots in Port-of-Spain and environs ran out of chicken over the weekend. However, SATT said the temporary shortage was due mainly to the two short work weeks as a result of the Christmas holidays and annual stock taking by some producers. On December 29 the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources announced a temporary restriction on importation of live cattle, beef and beef products from the United States  because of the discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, more commonly known as Mad Cow disease.

However, checks with meat shops around the country showed that while sales of other types of meat, specifically chicken, had increased, consumers continue to purchase beef. The fears of many were alleviated by the fact that most of this country’s beef is imported from New Zealand, Australia and Uruguay. Ronnie Mohammed, senior vice president at Nutrimix Ltd, said during the Christmas season large volumes of chicken are usually sold and after the holidays there is a decline in sales. However, there has not been the anticipated decline this year. “More chicken is being eaten at this time,” he noted.

Balliram Maharaj, CEO of Arima Discount Mart (ADM), said his store did not carry any US products since these tended to be much more expensive than other meat products. He estimated that approximately 90 percent of supermarkets in Trinidad and Tobago opt for beef clods, shanks and trimmings from New Zealand and Australia.